Spider-Man: Primal Hunter
by Real Steel Dragon
Summary: When the spider bit Peter Parker all those years ago, it made him part of something that most men could only dream of as well as becoming the spider's last hope for the Web. But will Peter chose to hunt the threats to the Web or hunt his own desires? And as the spider hunts, who will across the worlds will be hunting the spider? (M-Rated for a reason so you have been WARNED!)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Do not own anything of Marvel Comic and their characters such as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Silk/Cindy Moon and Red Sonja. I also do not own anything of Capcom and their characters such as Devil May Cry's Lucia. I also do not own anything from the Darkstalkers/Night Warriors series and their characters such as Morrigan and Lilith Aensland. I do not make nor seek any form of profit from this story. I do this on my own time and dime.

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Still working on my other Spider-Man story but also decided to do this one at the same time since my creative muse works whenever and whichever story it wants to. For the core of this story will be the focus of the mystical aspect of Spider-Man's powers, that Peter Parker is the chosen Spider for the current generation along with the one called Silk a.k.a. Cindy Moon. Also, the reasons for the other characters will be made clear since they were chosen for their mystical backgrounds.

And now, onto the story…

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Chapter 1: The Gathering - Part One

Ezekiel Sims had once thought about what his spider abilities could afford him once he obtained them. After having them for so many years, there had been plenty of times where he felt he was still only scratching the surface of what he could do. He had studied as much as he could in regards to what he would gain from the ancient ritual but there was always something new to learn.

And learned he did.

But now, there was something more that he had never considered. Of course there was always a thought of the consequences that constantly existed in the back of his mind ever since the completion of the spider ritual.

According to what was translated from the ancient text, it said only once a generation is someone chosen to be, 'the spider'. The ritual he experienced was meant for that chosen one to gain all the abilities of the spider. He believed that he was this generation's chosen one since there was no one else in the entire world that claimed to be the spider. That his drive to excel was what brought him to knowledge that he would use to achieve what he had become.

Now he had learned something different about what in essence was the selection process for becoming chosen to be the spider. The ritual was established by the spider clan to allow an easier means of becoming the spider but Ezekiel had learned that the first one ever chosen to be the spider clearly did not need the ritual.

The first chosen was actually bitten by a spider and spoke about how in a dream caused by the spider's bite did he learn of the reason why. The spider told him that it knew it's time was coming to an end and there was still much work to be done in the world. The spider had chosen him because of his connection to 'the web'.

Ezekiel had researched as much as he could about 'the web' once he learned of it but there was little information even with the spider cult's multiple texts and tomes. The only thing he managed to gleam was that whatever the 'web' was, its connections to all things in the world was far more reaching than anyone could even dare to dream. To know there was even a connection to the Black Panther in Wakanda was both surprising and not surprising. The main reason why Ezekiel found it not surprising was the obvious fact he had unbelievably overlooked was that the spider temples located all over the world, one of them was easily in an area that was once the expanded territories of Wakanda. As zealous as the ruling body of Wakanda is at protecting their current borders, there was no way they wouldn't have known about a spider temple being in their area in the past.

There was much information that Ezekiel had come across as of late and now, the direction that the information pointed to easily unsettled the man.

No matter how the information was looked at, there was an outcome that was steadily becoming more inevitable by the day.

War with the Primal Gods.

Because of him partaking in the ritual to gain the powers of the spider, the actions created a ripple that gained the attention of individuals. One such individual named Morlun.

He was still learning what kind of creature Morlun was but what Ezekiel did learn practically froze his soul. Morlun was a kind of immortal vampire that hunted spider-totems across countless ages. The reasons behind it seemed to lean towards some kind of cosmic balance. While spiders are indeed hunters, even they have things that hunt them and now, one of the spider's predators was searching for more than just one meal.

It was only after his encounter with Morlun, and by-the-skin-of-his-teeth escape, did Ezekiel reach this point of where he increased his desire to learn more about what it meant to be the spider and why individuals such as Peter Parker was chosen. Why actually anyone of them was chosen in reality.

And what his ascension to having his spider abilities actually meant.

Ezekiel Sims knew what he had to do next. That he had to get Peter Parker ready for what was to come. He could only hope that his plan would come to fruition soon and that it would be enough for Peter to handle it. For if a being like Morlun was aware of the ripples he had caused then it wouldn't be long before others would learn of it as well and seek out Spider-Man.

Despite the fact of how dangerous of a situation Ezekiel was going to put himself, he couldn't help but actually let himself laugh at what he summed up his mission was to be.

"To find Spider-Man someone to worthy to be his Spider-Bride. If it wasn't so serious, I might've just browsed the local Russian Wives catalog."

Ezekiel did enjoy the brief moment of levity before bringing his thoughts back to the previous serious setting. There was much work to be done and he figured it was best to start now.

Leaving the main office of his business building and headed to one of the lower sub-basement levels, Ezekiel actually hoped that the person he was protecting from Morlun was the one he needed for his plans. He remembered watching the security footage of the day to see how Peter Parker had gotten his powers but also remembered when he stopped watching after the spider had bitten him. It was only by pure chance of leaving the footage to continue to play did Ezekiel notice the true final act of the spider.

How Peter was one of the two that the spider had bitten before it died. If it wasn't the threat that Morlun represented in the shadows, Ezekiel might've not even paid any real attention to her. But now was not the time to take any chances with either of them.

If Peter was indeed the Spider, maybe the girl was his Bride. If so, then Ezekiel had to make sure she was indeed worthy of the title.

-Elsewhere in New York-

If there was one thing that Peter Parker really hated the most about being Spider-Man, it was the fact that all the women he encountered either were into his civilian persona or his superhero persona or just hated both for no reason other than 'just because'. The prime examples were Felicia Hardy, aka Black Cat, a name which suit her more than Peter ever suspected, NYPD Forensic officer Carlie Cooper and fellow scientist Sajani Jaffrey.

Carlie had been the kind of girl Peter would love to date back in high school had they ever met. Sure there was Liz Allen but that never really went anywhere which was strange since he did feel a connection to her as she did to him. Carlie Cooper was driven, intelligent, resourceful and definitely had the looks most women in the police department would kill to have. But she was more into Peter Parker and really didn't care much for Spider-Man despite knowing that he wasn't as big of a threat to the city as Mayor J. Jonah Jameson made him out to be on an hourly basis.

When that whole screwy event of everyone getting spider-powers in all of New York city caused his identity to be more or less revealed to Carlie, it was too much for her to handle. Well, not so much as handle as the fact she had a real grudge against anyone lying to her and also felt betrayed by Peter that he didn't trust her enough to trust her with his secret. Peter tried to make amends but even he knew that the relationship was as over as it could be.

Felicia was practically the opposite of Carlie in that when they first met, she was a criminal who enjoyed the rush itself of breaking the law. Peter wasn't sure how or when but eventually both of them shared similar feelings for the other. That was until Peter harshly learned that it wasn't the person behind the mask that Felicia was in love with but the mask itself. There were times Peter had wanted to call in to those day-time talk shows that talk about failed relationships and yell at them that their relationships failed because they couldn't keep their pants on. His relationship failed with Felicia because he didn't want to always keep his mask on.

Then there was dark-skinned scientist Sajani Jaffrey. The woman was easily as brilliant as she was beautiful but she had an attitude that made Wolverine and Dr. Doom seem like the most gregarious people in the world. If it wasn't for her intellect and scientific knowledge, Peter could have sworn that Sajani was the most arrogant and stubborn woman that he had ever met and he had met some of the most unbelievable women both on Earth and in space. He admitted to himself that if the woman had some compassion, like even just drop of it at all, she might actually be a worthwhile human being. But on more than one occasion the woman has openly stated her disdain for people like Peter and how his scientific pursuits in regards to philanthropy was a complete waste. He might've written the woman off as a personal adversary of sorts had he not heard around the company water cooler that she was actually interested in him but was unsure how to approach him since she figured she had already burned one too many bridges with him.

In a way, it was almost like how his relationship with Black Cat first started out. Only this time around it seemed Sajani's interest in him wasn't the mask but his intelligence. Peter found it ironic that the first woman that would be interested in his mind first would be something of a brainiac in her own right when all the other women, even Silver Sable, were interested in something else entirely.

It was the reason for Peter's current course of action which was web swinging through out the city. Of course he would stop the occasional night crime being committed but overall it was an attempt to take his mind off of his relationship issues.

Peter figured that he wasn't the kind of guy that was the unluckiest in the love department but he had to be in a situation that was unheard of, even in the superhero community. Sure he had heard of others who had date on and off with a lot of women, even some superheroines but it wasn't like he could go up to them and ask them for advice. Peter didn't even know how the phrase the questions so it wouldn't look like he was some kind of loser when asking the opposite sex out.

All of these thoughts and where they led to and even potentially led to were starting to give Peter a headache he knew he could do without. He couldn't understand why he was even entertaining the thoughts in the first place. To anyone else who took a look at his life would easily tell the difference on which had more priority in comparison.

And yet, here he was in his uniform concerning himself with such thoughts when he should be doing what he usually does as Spider-Man. There had to be a better way in finding the answers to these personal problems, something where his intellect could at least point to and he could take it from there.

However, Peter's thought processes came to a halt when he saw something in the distant that actually caught his eye. The streetlight below was enough to show Peter that someone had just made a jump between buildings that Peter knew wasn't possible for a normal person. Only someone like Captain America or similar meta-humans could do it and not break a sweat as this person proved again by reaching the next rooftop by jumping upwards. The height difference was almost the same as the goal post at a football field from the ground to the top.

This piqued his interest even though Peter's instincts were telling him something was incredibly off. At least to the point where maybe investigating might be more dangerous than could anticipate. He even contemplated the idea of ignoring the individual and head back for home but every time that kind of thought entered into his mind, attached to it was the reminder of the first time he made such a choice and how he and those dear to him paid for it. On a positive possibility, maybe it was a mutant or meta-human trying out their abilities and doing so at night so as to not attract any unwanted attention.

But on the other hand, Peter couldn't just ignore the situation outright.

Peter, somewhat reluctantly, decided to shadow the person just to see what they might be up to. Having followed many targets before over the years taught Peter the finer points in tracking someone without being seen. Sure he was no Wolverine, a man that could find a single snowflake in a blizzard with his eyes closed, but Peter felt confident with his tracking and shadow skills.

Which was why he noticed something strange almost immediately when he got close enough to at least figure out the individual's gender. It was definitely female and she somehow learned that she was being followed since her movements before were more of showmanship.

Whoever she was, she knew she was being followed and was staying away from Peter at a distance purposely. And judging by the path she was taking, was also leading him as well. That was something Peter quickly figured out when the person had actually waited for him to follow in one direction when Peter had thought that he had gotten ahead of the person.

Peter wished he trusted his instincts just as much as he trusted his spider-sense because of the early warning more often than he did. It tried to tell him something wasn't right and now he had solid proof of it. It was possible he was being led into a trap but that wasn't what worried him. His instinct briefly shouted at him that it was possible this woman was waiting for Spider-Man.

If Spider-Man was what this woman wanted, who was he to deny her desire?

A thought that Peter figured was something of a joke but in hindsight, something he wished he could take back.

The cat-and-mouse chase lasted for about another couple of minutes until they reached an area that was just outside of the city itself. Peter wondered if this place was chosen because it was still close enough to his neighborhood to where he could make it back and not raise any suspicions. If that was true, then that meant there was a possibility that this individual might knew who he really was and that alone was enough for Peter to get to the bottom of this riddle.

And sooner, the better since this was starting to feel as one of those times where any kind of hesitation would come back to bite him in the ass.

Peter followed the woman on top of the roof of a warehouse, which for once wasn't abandoned like he had usually encountered, but lost sight of her despite the well-lit interior. He could hear some distant chatter of people who probably working the night shift but nothing else. He listened for any other sound that might be out of place but there was nothing that readily stood out.

"Man, how could she move that fast?" Spider-Man said quietly to himself, looking around from where he had entered to see where the woman might've gone.

Peter cautiously moved from his spot which was on a catwalk that followed along the wall of the warehouse. Each step he took, which was as quiet as he could possibly be, didn't ease the feeling that he was doing what the person he thought he was chasing wanted him to do. To change it up, Peter jumped up to the ceiling for a better vantage point and maybe it was a more unexpected move on his part.

His new vantage point from the rafters in the ceiling still didn't help in locating his target. Peter started coming to the conclusion that maybe he was played and the person was already long gone. That maybe it wasn't a trap like he had initially believed.

He would have reached that conclusion if not for the fact that his spider-sense barely warned him in time of something that was about to attack him from behind. Following how his spider-sense had warned him, Spider-Man brought his arms up when he turned to face what was coming at him from behind. He didn't see what it was but it was a good guess that it was a pair of legs judging how the attack felt.

It was definitely a kick because it was strong enough to send him flying right off the rafter he was on and into another set hard. The sound of the impact clearly reverberated in the warehouse rafters as well the following sound of someone trying to follow up their attack but hit the support beam itself instead because Spider-Man moved fast enough to avoid it in time.

Spider-Man quickly moved backwards so as to put some space between him and his attacker. But whoever it was that was attacking him easily kept up with him move for move. But Spider-Man had learned to think on his feet in these situations and quickly devised a maneuver. He fired one web-line behind him and then yanked on it to move backwards. He fired another web-line in front of him and yanked on it as well but it was because he wanted a movable object to come towards him.

As he planned, Spider-Man reached the ground first and was able to move of the way of a container that he had pulled towards him with time to spare. The one who was attacking barely managed to get out of the way before the container smashed against the floor.

Looking back to see the result of his move definitely brought something of a smile on his face.

"Never expected a cargo container to actually carry nothing but pinatas. Guess that means I win the candy surprise inside them if I get the chance to collect them."

Spider-Man got back to his feet and prepared for a possible immediate attack. Instead he got the sounds of a light applause and an amused laugh that definitely came from a woman.

"I didn't expect you to use the surroundings to your advantage so soon in a fight. Just like a spider when it wants to capture it's prey." the woman said while she clapped.

"Well, spiders are hunters and sometimes a hunter needs to use a couple of tricks to score the prize." Spider-Man replied while looking around to see where his opponent might actually be.

"And here I thought I was the hunter." her words carried a hint of playful hurt, like this was a game to her.

Spider-Man, not letting his guard down and keeping his webshooters at the ready, finally took a look at who he was dealing with. It was times like this that Spider-Man was glad he wore this kind of mask since he felt his jaw drop and probably would've had his tongue hanging out as well.

About ten yards from him stood a curvaceous woman with stunning long green hair and, if at all possible, gold shaded eyes. Spider-Man figured that the woman was wearing contacts since no one had eyes of that color. But then he reminded himself that it was possible that her eyes were a sign of her being a possible mutant or meta-human.

In a way, maybe she was since Spider-Man couldn't help but feel that this woman's figure was natural but only for herself. A couple of million dollars and some excellent plastic surgeons might actually give someone the same kind of figure this woman was clearly flaunting.

The clothing she wore, which was a white blouse that just barely covered her impressive breasts and red shiny leather pants and black boots, maybe have amplified her sex appeal but Spider-Man figured she would look good even if she wore the robes of a nun. Any man with a heartbeat would agree with that.

Overall, Spider-Man knew that if he wasn't keeping his mind on the moment, and having dealt with several women who weren't above using their sex appeal, he might've actually jump this woman for all the sexy vibes that she was giving off.

Keeping his focus on the person in front of him, Spider-Man kept his body at the ready for any hostile act. Such prudence was made painfully clear when Spider-Man's arms that had blocked the woman's kick started to throb in increasing pain. It wasn't debilitating at the moment but it could be once the adrenaline ran out or if the 'woman' managed to get a few more kicks in.

Spider-Man refocused his thoughts passed the pain to the situation at hand and prepared himself to counter whatever move the woman made next.

"Considering who I'm dealing with and how you claim to be a hunter, does that mean your a man-eater?" Spider-Man used his usual banter to help better gauge his opponent.

"Maybe I was long ago…." the mirth in her voice hinted at something that Spider-Man was sure had a deeper meaning to it than she was letting on. "Or maybe I still am." the woman spoke again while giving Spider-Man a predatory look. He had seen a similar look once before but Black Cat didn't send a shiver down his spine like this woman was doing at the moment.

She took several steps forward, very slowly and swaying her hips just right in Spider-Man's view. "A hunter takes what they want without hesitation. Why does the little spider not take such a prize when she's right in front of him?"

"Depends on the prize. You'll obviously put up a good fight and while I don't shy away from a challenge, I don't think the prize would be worth the effort. I mean, look at all the candy that came out of those pinatas. You know the going rate for some of those jawbreakers and pixie sticks?" Spider-Man was still going on the unpredictability strategy since he didn't know enough about this woman at the moment. His banter usually helped test the patience of whoever he was facing which would give him an idea of their mentality.

All that he knew about her at the moment was she was strong, fast and obviously had some kind of an interest in him. The last time he underestimated the opposite sex, his mask was removed and his identity was nearly exposed to the whole world. Shathra was almost successful if it wasn't for the complete x-factor that happened during their fight in the studio hall. Somehow, Spider-Man felt that this person was similar to Shathra but much more dangerous.

Spider-Man hoped he could at the very least get the woman to reveal something without realizing it and that piece of information might work against her.

"Ah, you may say one thing but I can see it in your eyes. The spider only seeks the strong." The woman made a sexy gesture with one hand by having her index finger trail down the middle of her exposed chest. "But even a spider should know that appearances aren't everything."

His spider-sense warned him of an incoming attack so it wasn't just luck that Spider-Man moved his head to the left side to avoid a punch he was certain could have taken his head off. The woman had deceptively made such a move just so to get in close enough to grab Spider-Man with her other hand. Spider-Man felt his right arm being grabbed and was quickly flipped over with a twist. Only his agility made it so he didn't land flat on his back but Spider-Man was still on the defensive when the woman tried to sweep his legs out from under him.

Spider-Man decided now was as good a time as any to rely on his spider-sense in this fight. The woman was fast, just slightly faster than he was and all her moves seemed to give off the feel that she was either a well-trained or an experienced fighter. All he could do at the moment was react and that was a disadvantage this woman could exploit.

Closing his eyes after he made a move to put some momentary distant between them, Spider-Man 'listened' to his spider-sense. He focused all of his senses as best as he could so they operated to how his spider-sense dictated.

The teenage hero had heard many times in his life about someone moving at what felt like auto-pilot. Never once did he believe he would utilize it in a fight of all things.

Spider-Man felt his body move in response to the woman's movements. When she threw a spin kick aimed for his abdomen, Spider-Man countered at the exact same moment by shifting his body in the same direction. The twist allowed the kick to be a glancing hit, no real damage inflicted. But benefit of this move caused the woman to be off-balance for the kick was intended to hit and her balance would stay stable from the kick.

The woman showed a hint of surprise but also smiled at the same time when her kick was countered in such a way. She showed more of her pleasure when it became clear to her the fight was turning towards Spider-Man's favor by his own actions. Though she wouldn't necessarily call this a fight since if she was actually serious, she could easily take Spider-Man down.

No, this was much more stimulating for her. Just as she hoping and wanted it to be.

The woman let this dance go on for a little longer, keeping the intent of her attacks the same level. Spider-Man managed to counter and even throw a couple of his own which weren't any real threat against her. His attacks might have caused some damage but there was no killer intent behind them. Clearly this man was holding himself back.

Having seen what she wanted to see and more, the woman jumped backwards as easily as if she took one step. When his spider-sense stopped registering a threat, Spider-Man opened his eyes to see the woman in front of him again applauding him.

"I must say, when I heard there was a spider whose hunting ground is New York city, I was skeptical about the rumors that I heard. But now I know personally and I have to say, rumors don't really tell your story. The potential that you have, there are those that would kill to have it."

Spider-Man heard the words but was a bit confused at what the woman's point was. It did confirm that she was indeed interested in him but why was still unclear. The vigilante didn't really see him as a hunter in certain key aspects that mattered to him. So the obvious question was what was this woman after and where did he fit in all of it.

"Especially that fury." the woman said which she knew surprised Spider-Man after she said it. "Oh, I saw that fury within you that day. Someone who had an interest in you tried to use you for her own petty schemes. The fear you put into her very soul in that studio...ooh..."

Spider-Man was surprised when the woman said that. Only a number of times did Spider-Man ever let himself, let his 'fury' get the better of himself and he was sure that the fight between him and Shathra, which was one of those fury times, wasn't clearly recorded.

However, Spider-Man's surprise actually changed to something else when the mentioned his episode back at the studio seemed to actually arouse the woman. The first clear sign of her arousal, other than the sensual moan that came from her lips, was her nipples becoming erect and visible through her white blouse.

'Okay...first this woman lures me here and then fights me...and now she's turned on?' Spider-Man didn't understand the riddle this woman was becoming. No answer that came to his mind fit the flow of this scenario and that was somewhat frightening him.

Just when he was about to voice his confusion, the woman moved quicker that his reflexes without his spider-sense could respond. Spider-Man felt the lower half of his mask move upwards before feeling a familiar sensation against his lips. That familiarity quickly changed when Spider-Man felt like something was being taken from him through the kiss.

The kiss was unique in that it was a pleasing kiss but the vigilante could still feel something specific was being taken from him.

When the woman broke the kiss, she gave the Spider-Man an even more predatory look that clearly told him of one thing. The woman had found something she was looking for from Spider-Man and wasn't going to let it go.

"This is more than I hoped. In all my years, I have only met a handful of mortals that possessed what I want. But never have I met one that could become even more than what I've seen and trust me, I've seen plenty."

Spider-Man didn't even get a chance to respond because the woman moved his mask so it was on backwards and blinding him. It only took him three seconds to move the mask back into place, only because Spider-Man didn't want to remove his mask and show any possible passerby to see his face. But it was apparently more than enough for the woman to completely disappear from sight.

"By the way, my name's Morrigan Asenland and you will know all of me soon."

Spider-Man looked around quickly to see where the voice he heard might be coming from. But there was nothing in sight and with her speed, Spider-Man knew she was already long gone. Spider-Man decided to follow suit since the last thing he needed at the moment was being seen near a broken open container.

Once on the rooftop of the warehouse, Spider-Man again looked around to see if the strange woman was anywhere nearby. His spider-sense wasn't registering anything either. The only thing Spider-Man knew for certain about the whole situation was that it was quite possible he had just met the sexiest woman in the world. She was definitely in a class all her own since there was no way that woman was what could be considered 'normal'.

'No way have I seen the last of her.' Spider-Man thought to himself while still scanning the area around him for anything.

Not seeing anything of value and realizing that he had to get back home immediately, Spider-Man headed towards the direction of his home only to grow faint and fall to his hands and knees. The adrenaline rush had finally stopped which gave Spider-Man a clear indication that his strength was considerably less than he thought it would be. The after-effect feeling of being drained was his first clue that it wasn't simple fatigue that brought him to his knees.

'Damn. She actually did take something from me. My blood maybe?' Spider-Man ran through the possibilities of what he might have lost but couldn't think of anything at the moment that would leave him feeling so drained.

He had been in many battles that left him with some considerable blood loss but this kind of drain he felt now was nothing when compared to those time. And yet, Spider-Man had some faint idea that it was somehow biologically connected.

'Whatever she did, there's no way I haven't see the last of her. She obviously got a taste and wants more. Of what, I'm going to have to figure and quickly.' Spider-Man's final thought after he felt his body get over the drained feeling and some of his strength return to him.

Luckily for Peter, by the time he had got back to his apartment, he was still able to sneak back inside without raising any suspicions with the neighbors. He had learned where the blindspots were and how to land quietly on the apartment building's rooftop without making a loud sound when he had first moved into the building.

As he removed his uniform, Peter felt the soreness in his arms reminding him the woman's strength and how the next encounter might be more intense. So a good night's sleep would definitely be beneficial at this point. But before he did, Peter notice one thing before he went to bed. Even in the dim light of the night, Peter noticed right away that he was a little pale in appearance when he passed by a reflective surface. This might've reinforced the idea that the woman took some of his blood but he couldn't shake the feeling it wasn't that.

Eventually Peter decided that those questions were best left for the morning. If there was a new 'player' in town that was coming after him, he would need to check on some of his sources like the Fantastic Four or the Avengers. Maybe even Dr. Strange since the woman used the word 'mortal' and in his experience, no human that was either mutant, meta, or otherwise, used that term. That narrowed it down to what the woman might actually be but that still left a lot of other questions he couldn't answer.

However, all of this meant there was nothing more Peter could do at the moment except sleep and regain his strength.

Something that Peter felt he was going to need for the coming days.

Before Peter had returned home, the woman he had encountered had already returned to a penthouse that she was currently using as a base of operations. The previous owner of the penthouse was some rich man who felt that his wealth could afford him anything and everything he could possibly want.

When he wanted a call girl, the rich man never expected what he really got for companionship. Having been around as long as she has, Morrigan did give the man a special treat. A kiss, she said to him, that would lead him straight to paradise.

Having never believed in the world's legends of what lives in the shadows, the man never realized what happens when a succubus kisses a man. Morrigan had long since learned to control her kisses but ever so often she would let her restraint go and allow some random mortal to experience a 'full kiss'. Morrigan had heard of the human saying regarding 'a kiss of death' but she never associated that with her kisses. If anything, hers were a kiss of pure lust. The kind of which no human could ever create and very rarely ever experienced.

Oh, she had seen the mortals try to achieve it over the years, with creations of new drugs and various forms of interesting if not entertaining diversions.

If anything her full kisses were that of Heaven and anyone who had just a taste of Heaven would want to go there as soon as possible.

Of course it was easy to convince the mortals that the elderly man had died of a heart attack before leaving everything to her in a last will and testament written by him in the hours before his death. Even if the mortal doctors carved him up to see what exactly ended his life, Morrigan was more than confident that they wouldn't know what a body looks like after having it's lifeforce extracted.

A succubus extracting a man's lifeforce normally will leave the man looking like a dried up husk. But Morrigan did it slow enough so the man would experience the intense pleasure while forfeiting his lifeforce to her.

She could have easily enthralled the man because of how weak his mind and will was, especially for someone claiming to have earned the 'power' he possessed.

But she chose not to since the man wasn't even that impressive to begin with nor worth the effort.

No, there were much more impressive men in the world nowadays and it seemed one of them was worth her attention and efforts. Especially since she felt he was more than what his namesake said he was.

Upon entering the penthouse, by her own means of travel which didn't involve the ground floor entrance or even an elevator, Morrigan walked to the living room area to see her companion was still watching what was being broadcasted on the absurdly wide screen tv.

"Why is it that the mortals call these things reality tv show when they are so out of touch with reality itself?" the lavender-haired girl said while laying on the floor on her stomach, absentmindedly flipping through the channels with a bored expression.

Though Morrigan wore clothing that seemed made to show off her sex appeal, her companion wore clothing that seemed to follow the trends of popular teenage girls' opinion. Cutoff jeans and red leather jacket over a white tank top.

"Change is ever constant for them. What they find abhorrent one day could be the biggest source of amusement the next. I remember a time when they enjoyed throwing stones at someone for no real reason other than they could. Apparently being called a witch was all that was needed for that." Morrigan replied while taking a seat on the plush couch and directing her gaze to the tv screen.

"And yet women nowadays like to be called bitches more than witches. I wonder what they'll like to be called in the years to come?" the girl said, still flipping through the channels until she stopped on one of the more adult themed channels. "And what's the point of being paid to enjoy pleasure? Doesn't that just take all the best kinds of fun and make them less fun?"

Morrigan sighed at that since at times, Lilith asked question that she felt personally didn't even deserved to be questions in the first place.

"Let them have whatever they call for fun on their own. We have our own fun to think about Lilith."

That got the girl's attention right out. "You met him?"

The giddiness in the girl's voice was clear. Her reddish colored eyes glowed with excitement and impatience, waiting to hear more from Morrigan.

"Oh yes and let me tell you, he's the most interesting individual I've seen in a long time."

"Even more so than Dante?" Lilith said with skepticism since she had seen Morrigan speak rather fondly of the demon hunter.

"Dante's interesting in his own way. But the spider...(moans)...is far more interesting in his own unique way." Morrigan replied while licking her lips when she remembered the 'kiss' they shared. "He has such heart that can protect the world or burn it to ash. You know how many mortals I've come across that have that kind of heart?"

When Lilith shook her head no in response, Morrigan lifted up one hand and extended one finger. This surprised Lilith since she knew Morrigan had been around the mortal longer than she has/

"All my years and I've only met one other person with such a heart. As much of an interesting person Dante is, as well as his other companions, his heart doesn't carry that rare white flame inside of it. The only kind of flame that can stand up to my kiss."

Again, that got Lilith's attention but only because of what it truly meant.

"Save any for me?" Lilith asked, getting to her knees and faced Morrigan with both anticipation and desire.

Morrigan smile before opening her mouth and showing that she had some kind of liquid in her mouth. Only Morrigan and Lilith knew exactly what it was which was why Morrigan wasn't surprised at Lilith's actions.

"Oh! Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" the only words Lilith said before practically jumping up and tackling Morrigan to the couch.

Morrigan knew what Lilith would do once she saw that Morrigan had in her mouth. Of course it had a scientific name as to what it was but Morrigan preferred to think of it in a romanticize term. The essence of the spider.

Lilith wasted no time in locking her lips with Morrigan and began what seemed like very intense and passionate kissing on the surface. Even Lilith and Morrigan moaning made it seem like two attractive females were making out. Well, it was more like that for Morrigan than it was for Lilith. Lilith herself was trying to get as much of what was in Morrigan's mouth as she could.

When Lilith finished, she took in a deep breath and shuddered while letting out a pleased sigh.

"Ooh...I don't think I've ever tasted anything like that. I think it's even better than that of virgin's taste."

"And the best part: there's more of that where that came from." Morrigan said which seemed to inspire Lilith's lust which at times were strong if not stronger than her own. "And it will get better with age, no doubt."

After that said, Lilith returned to capture Morrigan's mouth with her own and the two gave each other a long sensual kiss. Neither one was a stranger to pleasing the other for having done so many times over the years. This time was not really all that different since both were now excited at the prospect of what can come from the mortal Spider-Man.

While they continued the makeout, their hands started to roam each others' bodies. They would caress each other, massage the others' breasts, ass cheeks, and thighs while continuing the kiss. Eventually they both started to pull off others' clothing while still managing to maintain the kiss.

The two naked succubi were kissing and fondling each other all over their bodies on the couch. Their actions became as such that both eventually were on the floor of the plush carpet but Lilith still remained on top. They both knew what and how the other liked from all their previous experiences. Lilith was on top of Morrigan as she placed a hand down to the girl's crotch and started to push her fingers inside of her. She could feel Morrigan moan into her mouth as the other girl hands went to the Lilith's ass and began kneading it.

There were times that Lilith was envious of Morrigan because of her cup size since her own wasn't much more than a handful at best. But times like these she was actually pleased with succubus' impressive bust. To lay on top of them, to feel their soft and firmness at the same time was a treat Lilith knew almost no one else had ever experienced.

Lilith started to shift one hand down and slipped a couple of fingers into Morrigan's pussy as she started to gently finger the other succubus' love hole. She could feel Morrigan moan into her mouth and Lilith started to trail kisses down to her neck. She then moved to Morrigan's collarbone, then to the place between her breasts and then started to suck on each of her breasts. Morrigan used one hand to feel up her other breast and started to stroke the girl's lavender hair. She could feel the mouth on her breast, teeth, tongue and all stimulating and exploring and she liked it. Morrigan had learned that she had rather sensitive nipples and loved to have them stroked, pinched, pulled and most of all sucked on. She moaned again feeling Lilith take her nipple between her teeth and slightly pulled back on it.

Morrigan hissed out when Lilith tugged a bit hard on her nipple before releasing it and then went back to sucking on it. She could feel her tongue swirling around it as well as she sucked making Morrigan cry out in pleasure.

"Oh god that feels so good Lilith."

Lilith chuckled as she pulled back and started to roll both nipples with her fingers, "I can't believe how sensitive you are here. Sometimes I wonder when it gets cold enough to pop your nipples, it arouses you at the same time."

Morrigan looked at Lilith and smirked as she rolled the other girl onto her back. "I think it's my turn to get you all warmed up now."

Lilith smiled as the green hair dark goddess slowly started to lick her way over Lilith's young body. Like Lilith, Morrigan knew how to arouse her and the girl shuddered at all of the sensations she was feeling. Lilith had sworn to herself that if she found a guy or even a girl that was equally skilled as Morrigan, she would claim that one as her own personal companion. There had been times when Morrigan wasn't around and Lilith was practically in desperate need of some kind of release. Hell, if can right down to it, Lilith would find someone that she could train to be her perfect lover since a succubus could take control someone's will ease if so desired.

Lilith felt like her entire body was being caressed, licked, kissed and so much more sensations than she could keep track of because of Morrigan's actions. She had wondered on many occassions where Morrigan had learned such skills. Lilith remembered asking Morrigan on several occassions and her answer was 'You'll learn in time.' Her thoughts quickly became clear when she felt Morrigan's tongue now on her pussy lips.

"Oh yeah that's it girlfriend," Lilith sighed as she felt the tongue playing with the outside of her folds. "Go on and eat me out."

Morrigan buried her face into the girl's crotch as she rubbed the girl's thighs. Her tongue trailed lazy swirl patterns over the girl's pussy and after a minute of this decided that Lilith needed a little more prodding. She started to put her tongue into the folds and probe the other succubus' sex. Now Morrigan couldn't help but smirk at her actions upon hearing the other girl moan out. Even her hips bucked in response and then started to grind into Morrigan's face. Soon Lilith was working her hips really fast all the while begging Morrigan to stick her fingers inside of her. Morrigan did so by starting with two fingers and worked them in and out of the other girl.

"Oh god...oh, oh fuck me Morrigan! That's so good! Finger fuck me faster!" Lilith squealed as she felt the other girl's tongue sucking on her clit and her fingers moving in and out of her wet hole her quickly. It didn't take long before Lilith groaned out and Morrigan got a taste of Lilith's juices.

Morrigan took in as much as she could but quickly learned that Lilith came harder than she normally does in their coupling. Probably she was more excited at the prospect that was Spider-Man than with her. Not that Morrigan could blame her since even she herself was very much interested in the mortal.

"Wow. You came pretty hard," Morrigan said licking some of the cum off her mouth and her fingers. "You really needed this. didn't you?"

"You have no idea," Lilith panted, resting for a moment while enjoying the feeling of her heart still racing in her chest.

But then Morrigan was on top of her and was kissing her just as hard as before. Lilith could taste herself on Morrigan's lips and mouth as the other girl's tongue went into her mouth. She sucked on her tongue taking in a lot of the girl's saliva mixed with her own sex juice. Lilith was also please that there was still some traces of Spider-Man's essence mixed in with their combined juices.

It was like drinking one of the mortal's exotic drinks. The kind that was mostly mixed with fruits but carried on special ingredient that gave it an unexpected kick.

Lilith was the first to break this kiss before looking directly into Morrigan's eyes. "If just his essence alone is this good, can you just imagine what it might be like with him entirely?"

Morrigan smiled as she repositioned herself so as to straddled Lilith's face with her pussy over it. Lilith knew what she wanted and followed through with the desire by beginning to eat Morrigan out. The green haired beauty moaned at the feeling Lilith's mouth was doing to her sex. Morrigan knew that Lilith was only a little good with her fingers but was much better with her mouth on where it was. With how Lilith was pleasuring her sex, Morrigan loudly moaned out while starting to grind her hips against Lilith's face. Morrigan increased the sensations that she was feeling by reaching up and started to massage and work her own breasts. A moment later, Morrigan felt her fingers become entwined with Lilith's as now both fondled and play with Morrigan's breasts. Both of them took turns with Morrigan's nipples. P laying with them, stroking them, and pulling on them while the other would fondle and squeeze the tits themselves either hard or soft at any given moment.

Soon Morrigan was moaning loudly as she stared to ride Lilith's face to her climax. Unlike Morrigan, Lilith was able to take in all of her love juices with little problem. For both, this was a good start but the night was still young for them and they had plenty of 'catching up' to do.

After Morrigan had finished riding the girl's face, they both ended up in a 69 position with Lilith on top again. They were eating each other out and using their tongues or fingers to probe the depths of the other girl's sex. Lilith even asked for Morrigan to stick something in her ass so at one point while green haired succubus was eating out the lavender haired succubus. Not needed any more invitation, Morrigan used her thumb to start fucking the girl's asshole. Returning the favor, Lilith used both of her index fingers on Morrigan's own asshole.

Morrigan used a pumping action for Lilith while Lilith herself used her fingers to play around Morrigan's anal bud. From circular motions to alternate pumps is what Lilith did which definitely pleasured Morrigan since the moans she made increased with her mouth still latched onto Lilith's pussy.

They were like that for awhile both of them cumming at least twice while in this position.

After that, the two succubi decided to try and go for one more round but they wanted to try something new for a finish this time. The two of them were now facing each other in a sitting position with their arms behind them. Once they pressed themselves together, Lilith and Morrigan began grinding their pussies together using their arms and legs for leverage and strength. Both of them had a slight sheen of sweat on their bodies before this but now both girls were grunting and panting with the effort. Their physical strength was greater than that of a human but such was needed for this in order to really achieve a final release. Both were practically covered in sweat while enjoying the time pleasuring each other but they could only keep this up for several minutes before reaching their respective last orgasm for the night.

"Oh god...I think I'm going to cum again Morrigan." Lilith said as she started to use a hand to work her clit. She noticed that Morrigan started doing the same to her own clit as well as putting more effort with her legs in order to grind against Lilith. This position wasn't new to them but it was the best one that they had available for them that allowed both of them to achieve a considerable release.

"I'm close too. Oh fucking god! Lilith harder! Fuck me harder! Please!"

"Like that? Just like that, huh? Oh fuck! Yes!" Lilith thrusts her hips even harder against her sister and lover. Morrigan started making panting noises with some grunts that were getting faster and faster. Soon the long green haired beauty gave a long cry as she flung her head back in response to her achieving release. Her body was racked with a satisfying orgasm. Lilith could feel the other girl's juices soaking her own pussy and seeing her sister get off was enough to trigger her own orgasm a split second later.

"Oh, Holy Fuck! Yes!" Lilith yelled, her mouth hung open as her body shook in bliss.

After they had both cried out at the same time, they both fell back onto the soft carpet trying to catch their respective breaths. "By the night, that felt good." Lilith said moving a stray strand of hair out of her face that was plastered to her wet skin.

"As it always is." Morrigan sighed once she managed to control her breathing again. "But now we know we can add something else to really spice it up.

Lilith propped herself up by her elbows so she could face her companion. Having been together for as long as they have, it was common for the both of them to understand what the other could be thinking or might just say.

"Spider-Man." both girls said at once which elicited a laugh from the both of them. Lilith smiled at Morrigan before laying back down and stare at the ceiling before saying something more.

"Do you think we can actually convince him to join us? I know you got close to him and he was able to resist your presence alone."

"That just means he's as strong as we need him to be. I'm sure I can convince him but even if he resists me, Spider-Man can't resist both of us. As his name says, he's male and we both know no male in the mortal world can resist the invitation of two sexy figures like us for long." Morrigan replied.

"Do you think he'll survive what we're going to ask of him?"

"Who said about just asking? He'll have a smile on his face even if we take it from him."

Morrigan knew Lilith had some slight reservations with what they going to do in the near future. But there was too much as stake and time wasn't really on their side. It didn't help matters that what they were looking for was no longer in their own world. Coming to the mortal world only meant how desperate their situation was starting to become.

Looking back at Lilith, Morrigan was of a similar mindset with her own reservations and decided to voice them to her 'sister'.

"His strength is incredible and he could probably survive it. If he does, and truth be told I hope just as you do that he does, we'll make him one of us. Spiders are creatures of the night and who knows? Should he come with us, he won't be Spider-Man. He'll be a Spider-King."

Morrigan could see a sparkle of excitement in Lilith's eyes at the possible prospect. Their world was rule by a sense of royalty and someone like that would fit in perfectly. Well, perfectly in Lilith's view.

"Next time, I'm coming with you." Lilith said knowing Morrigan would go out searching for where Spider-Man's home was. To give him an offer any other mortal, even their famed Pope, would kill to have.

Plus, Lilith knew Morrigan's opinion of mortals wasn't easy to be swayed in a positive manner. For Spider-Man to do so definitely had Lilith's attention more

Morrigan only laughed in response which confused Lilith.

"I thought you just did."

As the events unfolded within the city, one of New York's port of harbor had a cargo ship coming and finalizing its docking procedures so as to allow some passengers that ship's captain allowed to board earlier to disembark. While some of them were what most would consider typical passengers from that side of the world traveling to the other side, there were a couple that didn't fit that typical standard.

Including a dark-skinned woman with shoulder length red hair and deep emerald color eyes that had snuck aboard the ship and kept out of sight the entire time. She would have preferred going by jetliner in order to reach New York but she was short on cash and several of her 'friends' were unable to front her the money at the time as well. If often puzzled her that for someone like Dante to be in any kind of business, even as a demon hunter, he could easily rack up the bills that were in the red and pay them off somehow at the same time. He had to have been getting some kind of financial aid which was probably why Lady was unable to give her money for a plane ticket.

She could have easily snuck into the airport and hide in one of the cargo holds of a jetliner but she remembered that only the passenger areas were pressurized and heated. Her physiology might not have been human but she wasn't about to spend hours in what was essentially a meat locker.

Looking at the city light of New York, Lucia had wondered how she was going to go about the objective she had been given. It wasn't a mission like the ones Dante had done several times but more like a recon-and-report situation. Some obscure friend of the Son of Sparda had come to him and informed them that something happening on the horizon. A ripple effect had occurred with something that was considered the natural order of the world. There was no means of seeing where the ripple was reaching and what it was effecting.

The only information that Dante was given was that the source of the ripple seemed to be centered in New York. Lucia tended to agree with Dante that with all the superheroes running around in the Big Apple, they tended to more harm than good. Especially when it came to things that were mystical.

It was actually one of the reasons why Lucia had volunteered to come to New York in the first place, to check out this foreboding prophecy of sorts. Mostly to get out of the shop because of the sexual tension that had been growing between Dante, Lady and Trish. She may like the 'macho' but it was clear to her that the other women wanted to stake a claim on the demon hunter and saw the other as a rival. The last thing she wanted was to get into an unnecessary three-way fight for someone who's general attitude at times towards the opposite sex started to make you question if he was even interested in the opposite sex. Lucia guessed that either Dante wasn't interested in either Trish of Lady or like most males, wasn't able to express such emotions since it wasn't necessary to bring a gun or a sword to such conversation.

Whatever it was, Lucia had decided she would be far better off away from it when the sexual tension exploded. Probably in more ways then one considering how that powder keg was building up.

"So, where to start?" Lucia said to herself before picking a general direction into the city. After making sure no one was around, Lucia activated her devil powers which transformed her into a white harpy and took flight into the city.

As Lucia flew closer to the skyline of the city, there was a part of her that started to get the feeling that there might be something more happening in the city. Something that Dante's friend failed to tell them or didn't himself.

Something that was starting to send a growing feeling of excitement into her.

"Feels like I'm going to have more fun than I thought on this trip." Lucia again said to herself while smiling at the same time.

Next Chapter: The Gathering Part Two

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Author's Note: After everything that happened in the Spider-Verse arc of Marvel comics, I figured that it's finally solidified the fact that there is both science and mysticism in where Spider-Man or even any spider-themed figure is involved. As such, I decided to make a story that goes into that part of the Web Slinger. Pretty much all mystical female characters, good or evil, in both Marvel and Capcom as it were, are open game for Spider-Man. The first several chapters will help bring in the core characters for the story. I'll probably add others should I come across ones that would work in the story or if you, the readers, can think of a good female character to add. And by good, I don't mean only 'good girls' since Morrigan and Lilith are added to the mix and they are considered 'bad girls.'

Also, my choice for using Lucia instead of the other women from Devil May Cry was because I didn't feel Lucia didn't get a fair shake for her role in the second game and I'm only sticking with the original games and not the rebooted version. The first four games definitely have better material to work with than the fifth one.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Do not own anything of Marvel Comic and their characters such as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Silk/Cindy Moon and Red Sonja. I also do not own anything of Capcom and their characters such as Devil May Cry's Lucia. I also do not own anything from the Darkstalkers/Night Warriors series and their characters such as Morrigan and Lilith Aensland. I do not make nor seek any form of profit from this story. I do this on my own time and dime.

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Author's Note: Again, keep in mind this story was given an "M-Rating" for a reason. It is also why the character **Anya Corazon will be 18 years old in this story. If there are any reports or complaints about this story and this fact, it is simply because they did not read this Author's Note before going onto the story.**

Now, to understand the concept of this story, think back to the comic book story arc "The Other" where Peter was asked a question after his death and rebirth by the Great Weaver that had chosen Peter Parker to be it's Avatar..

"Are you one or the other?"

Will Peter accept the Spider as the Protector? Or will Peter accept the Spider as the Hunter?

Guess the women will be the tipping point for Peter Parker. Now, onto the story.

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Chapter 2: The Gathering - Part Two

-Ancient Times in Hyrkania-

In the world of the supernatural, there was much that was both known and unknown despite the claims of various texts, cults, and practitioners would have one believe.

What is known is that anyone with the heart and the will can practice the magical arts whether they are for good or ill intentions.

What is unknown is that all forms of magics are indeed connected in that they are the life blood of the universe and the realms that they are a part of.

It is unknown facts like these that often arise questions that on their face value have no known or understandable source.

This is what plagues the thoughts of several supernatural beings that both occupy the world as well as across the span of time.

The Red Goddess Scáthach, a being that had been had seen much in her unfathomable existence in time, had learned many lessons when dealing with mortals and their world. As much as she was a part of the world, she knew there were things that even eluded her sense of logic and required actions that only in the end would make any form of sense to either her or those she had to choose as champions.

Some times it was the reasoning of Fate or Destiny that could at best explain the path before her and her champions.

And there were times where something even greater than Fate or Destiny was behind the shadows.

Right now, Scáthach could feel that there was something happening. It reached out from the distant future as easily as a hand reaching down to grab the sand on a sandy beach. But this hand also felt all too familiar to her and to her current champion who was known throughout the land as 'the She-Devil With A Sword'.

There had been several times where Red Sonja had teamed up with warrior that was chosen by the Master Weaver to be it's champion against the power-mad sorcerer Kulan Gath. Those times when it became necessary for their champions to team up against a common enemy, Scáthach could only send Red Sonja's spirit to the future and only into the body of someone who had a deep connection to the Spider.

Sadly that connection no longer existed which for a time kept the Spider and his world out of reach and Scáthach was amenable to that set of circumstances. But because of that loss of connection, something very much unexpected was starting to replace it and it felt to the Red Goddess that it was something incredible dangerous. Dangerous because this new connection's potential was beyond the depths of comprehension for those within the mortal world. Scáthach was aware of the influence the Master Weaver had and the roles of it's champions played through time. With the world full of beings that easily transcended mortal limitations and some beings were gods in their own right, it was best to know who could be seen as ally and foe.

But now, things had changed. Or more to a point, the roles had changed. Scáthach could feel the balance beginning to change and the Master Weaver was near the center of it.

It took some effort on her part but Scáthach was able to ascertain the focal point of the change and it didn't truly surprise her at the revelation of it.

The one her champion had allied herself to on several occasions, the one called Spider-Man, was at the focal point of this change. The balance that this Web Warrior was in charge of protecting was now shifting but unclear as to how and in which direction. The only time Scáthach had seen a change of this nature was the time before Atlantis sank into the darkness of the oceans. Though Atlantis wasn't destroyed, the path it was now on was completely different and left a void that was later filled with elements both powerful and dangerous but ultimately unexpected.

This was similar but to leave it unchecked was an option that Scáthach felt she couldn't ignore like with Atlantis. Her only choice that she could see clearly enough was to send her champion to the future and ensure that balance either was returned to it's original state or to ensure that the change to the balance did not fall into the shadows.

It wouldn't be the first time Red Sonja ventured into the future to fight along side the Web Warrior but there was the possibility of something more that could be done once the two encountered each other.

For all the champions that Scáthach had chosen over the ages, Red Sonja was the first to have abide by the rule that she could not lay with another man unless he defeated her in fair combat. There had been others that adhere to the rule for lengths of time but in the end, those before Red Sonja gave into what they felt was the desire of their own hearts.

Red Sonja held a will that kept her focused on the path she had chosen for herself. A will that was easily connected to her own heart and it was exceptionally rare that both were in perfect harmony with the other. But there was one thing Scáthach had also noticed about the woman and where the journeys of the world had taken her.

Because of her being sent to the future and inhabiting the body of someone who was deeply in love with the Web Warrior, this union left an imprint upon Red Sonja. Scáthach saw several moments where Red Sonja had almost given to the desire's of the woman whose body she inhabited. But in retrospect, Scáthach realized that it wasn't just desire that influenced Red Sonja. It was the woman's genuine and unconditional love for the warrior that Red Sonja felt when the two of them shared their existence. It was the kind of love that easily touched Red Sonja's own heart and awoken that which the woman had only a very few times allowed herself to feel.

Scáthach had felt this change within Red Sonja and had for a time worried on how it might affect her. Ultimately the Red Goddess believed that what was left within her champion's heart would fade and she would find another that might be worthy of her hand in marriage if and when that day would come.

Now it was no longer that simple.

Scáthach could feel the love that touched her champion's heart still live within her after all this time. The bond between the Web Warrior and his beloved had been severed by magic but the love that was the foundation of that bond didn't die. That love was now part of Red Sonja and with each passing day, it continued to grow in strength. It was now starting to become strong enough to where the Red Goddess herself could hear the gentle whispers being made to the 'She-Devil With A Sword' as she slept.

Her contemplations about how best to handle the mortal situation offered very few other options. While she preferred to have her champion remain here and protect those that were innocent from those that would see the world in ruin, Scáthach knew that there would be times where the only action to be taken was as obvious as the rising sun.

"Time to summon Red Sonja and give her the choice. To see if she will follow her will or her heart."

Scáthach felt a small smile grace her lips in response to her outspoken words. "But somehow, I feel she had made such a choice long ago."

-Present Day Wakanda-

The Panther Goddess had never been one to care what happens elsewhere in the world. Such matters never really concerned her. Especially since she had left her homeland of what the mortals called Egypt centuries ago and became the protecting deity of Wakanda.

During those days in Egypt, her role for worshiping was known to the mortals as the embodiment of music and dancing. But she was also worshiped as the sole personification of passion and of pleasure.

In both Egypt and Wakanda, the Panther Goddess was known by several titles. She was known as Lover and the Warrior, the Mother and the Protector. But whatever title she was given, her true was something she rarely let anyone else use even if they were remotely familiar to her. Even when she chose the new Black Panther, all addressed her as the Panther Goddess.

Her role that she had established for herself for Wakanda was not of the Lover or the Mother but the Warrior and the Protector. In time, she might allow her name to be known formally but for now, Bast would remain to be known as she currently is.

But now the times were changing unpredictably, even for her. That was something Bast felt and it greatly worried her.

Bast remembered the moment in time where she had allowed Dr. Doom to take the entire vibranium store from Wakanda and how it felt as though she was betraying a part of herself in that event. The argument that the mortal gave her was a logical one, in how that with all the conflicts that happened around the world would lead to the downfall of the majority if not all of humanity.

Bast had seen the multitudes of possibilities for humanity's future, for Egypt, Wakanda and the world as a whole. There were promising futures that could happen, that was never in doubt. But each one became more and more fleeting for the unbalance that came with all the battles and their aftermaths had been growing exponentially between the 'heroes and villians' of the world.

Still, Bast felt that it all came back to that moment when a person the rest of the world and even Wakanda, the nation she willfully protected that wasn't even the land of her birth, saw as an egotistical tyrant with delusions of godhood. The Panther Goddess even remembered hearing the proclamations of the man once he had used the vibranium and combined it in a matter no one else in the world or in its past ever thought possible. He had gained a power that he claimed rivaled other cosmic power sources he had once wielded and from Bast's point of view, it wasn't a mere proclamation.

While Bast understood the decision T'Challa made in rendering most of the vibranium in the world inert, it had created an unpredictable future that would threaten to destroy Wakanda despite the efforts that went into rebuilding it. Especially when it was made undeniably clear to Bast that there were people within Wakanda itself who would rather see it destroyed then deal with the world and it's multitude of influences. These people fully believed they were stronger than any other nation in the world and had no need for anything except for what was within their own borders.

How foolish mortals tended to be when their views of the world is as narrow as the last ray of light from a setting sun.

Bast had come to protect Wakanda and it's people when the vibranium meteorite fell to its lands centuries ago. The result of the meteorite hitting the land caused innocent people to be turned into what at best could be described as demons when exposed to the material in it's initial unstable state. Her chosen actions lead to the creation of the Wakanda's protector and champion, the Black Panther to defend the land from these and future threats.

Now, with the nation's future more uncertain than ever before, Bast couldn't help but worry about what the coming days would bring and how would the people of Wakanda handle them.

Unfortunately, that was before she felt something change in the world. The likes of which she had never felt before save for the day the Asgardians disappeared and Thor's enchanted weapon, Mjölnir fell to Earth. Even when Thor returned to the world and brought back the Asgardians from wherever they had disappeared to, the ripple effect caused by their disappearance, their last Ragnarok as it were, could not be compared to anything else as of late.

Until now.

Bast had met more than one warrior over the ages that was chosen by the Master Weaver to be it's champion to the world as well as to what it called 'The Grand Design'. There were even times when the Web Warrior and the Black Panther fought along side by side to fight back a threat either to the world or to Wakanda. There was always an unspoken truce and comradely between the two who wore the mantles of protectors.

It was through all of these of her own personal experiences did she understand the current warrior champion of the Master Weaver. Bast had looked into the one called Peter Parker, looked into his very soul and realize he was probably the most perfect example of being worthy to wear the spider mantle. For his faults, there was a level of strength within him that could rival even the most famed heroes of the past and present. The people of Wakanda had created the trials to see if those who wish to be the Black Panther were worthy of the honor. Bast never really understood why the Master Weaver would simply choose someone to be it's champion and not test them to see if they were worthy at all. For a time there was a ritual to imbue a person with the powers of the spider but that practice disappeared into history and was soon forgotten almost by all.

Almost except for one.

It was because of this one being's meddling into things beyond his limited understanding that the ripple effect he had created had come full circle. It was what Bast felt was the change happening in the world. Those ripples this mortal had created were now coming back and were touching everything and everyone that a connection to what most of the world called the supernatural. How far and wide where these ripples were reaching was what worried Bast the most.

In her view, the time had come to consider something she had never thought would happen. She may have seen the multitudes of possible futures in numbers beyond mortal counting but there were some where even she didn't believe would come to pass. Of all of them there were two in where the Web Warrior was involved.

Bast saw him as possible the greatest champion ever to the Master Weaver or the leader of a force that would rival the gods that walk this world.

It could go one way or the other and the event that would become the tipping point was not set. When it would happen was something even Bast could not see and it was something she could not leave to chance. The stakes were too high for even someone like herself to ignore.

The Black Panther was the chosen champion to protect Wakanda but despite what some would believe, Wakanda was as much of part of the world as was any other current nation. And sometimes protecting the world required actions of the unexpected.

The current Black Panther, Shuri, sister to T'Challa would follow whatever path was before her for the good of her country. She was by no means a politician even though she was of the royal bloodline so she didn't fall under the tradition of having 'warrior wives' to protect her like brother and all male Black Panthers before her.

For the sake of the future for the world and for Wakanda itself, Bast would have to charge Shuri with a responsibility along with the role of being a close comrade to the Web Warrior. The Panther Goddess knew the woman would not take well to what she would be charged with for she was warrior yet to be fully tempered and focus like her brother T'Challa.

Bast was aware that sometimes there were other avenues in where protecting didn't require combat experience or extensive knowledge in various fields.

However, Bast would never tell Shuri of one of the possible futures she saw where in her arms was her daughter and by her side was the Web Warrior as her husband.

-North Atlantic Ocean-

Few had walked the lands of the Earth in a time before the coming man, when the world as a whole was something only few mortals could imagine. Even beings who practice in the occult and walked in realms of the supernatural did not know what a Primal Earth really looked like.

One such being who had been there when it all ended for her kind and watched the beginnings of man looked out to the distance under the clear night sky. There was no moon which allowed the stars to shine bright. This gave the being a kind of reminder that for all the centuries that had passed, things remained the same up in the heavens as they did below the Earth where she had spent in forced slumber.

As of this moment in the night, her golden yellow eyes stared out in a specific of the horizon for her past was behind her while she steadily headed towards what she felt in every fiber of her being was her future. Her body, to anyone who knew her truly, was as beautiful as it was deadly and ached because of a feeling she had thought no longer existed. An all too familiar feeling that she wasn't about to let slip from her grasp after all this time.

It amazed her that despite all the changes to the world, something as old, maybe older than her and family, still existed.

Shiklah remember why her father had put her into her sarcophagus and hidden her away those centuries ago. Their family was at war with the various vampire clans who had all united for the sole purpose destroying them. She had lost her brothers when the war was just outside of her home and her father didn't want the last of their own kind die in the madness. He told her that she would awake when the war had run its course and she would arise to see their family reborn.

When the war itself ended, Shiklah did not know but she did know whatever remained of her family was territories itself. It did cause her to feel some sadness knowing that her home wasn't even staggered ruins or that the only left her knew of her family was the one who called himself in this day and age Dracula. She remembered that he was there along with the other vampires destroying her family all because of his pure greed nature.

Shiklah might've been grateful when she was released from her sarcophagus but it was quickly clear to her that Dracula had only done so in order to unite the monster realm under his rule. The Lord of the Vampires' ambition was to conquer the world and declare himself a god to all. It was a goal Shiklah herself wouldn't mind achieving but she found it strange that Dracula had not achieved this goal and apparently required her help.

Or rather, her hand in marriage.

Shiklah played along with Dracula and his grandiose ambition until the opportunity to escape presented itself. Whoever the individual calling himself Blade was, he was more than enough of a distraction to escape into the world.

It was during her time where she travel to the human city called Paris did her knowledge of the new world steadily increased.

Learning that what was once her way of life had become no more than fantasy at best for the race of man was definitely something had not expected and found difficult to come to terms with. Though the world was well aware of demigods and practitioners of the supernatural arts, the common person still didn't believe there were things born of the dark as well as of the light. It was through this knowledge that Shiklah came to better understand the reasoning behind Dracula's motivation to force her to become his bride. As powerful as the vampires were both in her time and now, there were many individuals that exceeded the strength of the vampires and the monsters that they could command.

Such was a green monstrosity known as the Hulk and another that the mortals called a mutant who could control everything that was metallic. Shiklah had scoffed at the idea there was someone that was born mortal who was so strong that he was given the nickname 'World Breaker' and how dangerous another mortal born could be even if all they could do was manipulate metals on a whim. It was only when she 'persuaded' a mortal to show her what she wanted to know on what was called a 'tablet' did she have to accept some new truths to the new world. Such truth as there were beings out there that were more of a threat to the world than Dracula could currently claim but these same individuals also claim to be the world's protectors.

Even now, with said 'tablet' in her hands and lap as she sat cross-legged on the bow of the cruise ship, Shiklah was still searching the 'super information highway' for more pertinent facts about these heroes.

There were many of these individuals that called themselves the protectors of the innocent and they all ranged from everything that Shiklah could imagine and some that she never would have even in her own time. Never once did she believes gods or even their children would walk the Earth and not enforce their beliefs upon the people. The best example of that in her opinion was the one called Thor. When his legend started centuries ago, the people who followed him and his family were called vikings and they were really no better than pirates. According to the information Shiklah read about the culture, more often than not did these vikings do anything more than take whatever it was they wanted and kill anyone that was in their way. Even if those in their way was their own people.

Admirable in Shiklah's view but clearly they didn't have the drive to take themselves far and establish themselves as a world power with Thor's power on their side. To command an element of nature and wield it to it's absolute limit all around the world. To actually become an element of nature clearly told all that this being, this Thor Odinson, commanded a power that should be respected or face a wrath that would leave countless dead in his wake. Shiklah might have considered this being a worthy mate but the more she read about him, the more she felt he would only be worthy of being nothing more than a meal to her.

To fight along side other individuals that combined would wield a power greater than anything else in the world and bring it to it's knees but only to go so far as protect it seemed like a complete waste. Shiklah at the very least could see their actions in protecting the world if they were the ones ruling it. But to allow beings that were no better than the common insect to wield their authority over those who could easily destroy such insect in just their passing left a bitter taste with her.

Then again, it was possible the person who previously owned the device she was using was the result of her having a bitter taste in her mouth.

Shiklah couldn't help but let herself remember the moment when she first encountered the man after she had snuck onto the cargo ship. The man was using the device to look at strange imagery from what she could see. Such images that showed females in clothing that really weren't that different than her own doing moves and stances that didn't seem all that relevant to her. They seemed relevant to the man as he would make a comment about something they had done. Why he kept saying over and over about the female 'shaking her fat ass' or did he actually use the word 'phat'?

That was another thing she found was both strange and further proof that the race of man was nothing more than insect if not cattle to the superior beings that had existed long before they ever crawled out of the mud. If any species can create multiple words to which all have the same absolute meaning, then nothing said is truly what is meant and some of these insects define their very existence with what they say outloud.

Regardless, Shiklah had made the decision to see how the man would react to if he saw something similar within hands reach.

No sooner than when he was alone and out of sight and earshot of everyone else on the ship, probably because he was actually trying to find a secluded spot, is when Shiklah made her presence known just by walking up to him. The language he spoke was a bit hard to understand at first but his actions were as clear as crystal. All Shiklah had to do was let him actually get close to her and wait for him to lay his hands on her self. It was no surprise that the man paid more attention to her chest area at first. Even more so when Shiklah allowed the being to remove her upper top enough to expose more of her skin.

Shiklah humored the man for a couple of more seconds before she felt it was time to stop playing with her food. Giving him a couple of chaste kisses before sealing her mouth against his. She saw the look of pleasure on his face quickly switch to concern and then terror when he realized something was wrong with a kiss from Shiklah.

The ancient one slowly drained the lifeforce out of the man. It could be said that she had been out of practice and wanted to savor her meal or see the effects of taking a man's lifeforce but in the end, all that was left of the being that Shiklah fed off of a was something that was barely more than skin and bones. Shiklah had never been one to clean up after herself after a meal and old habits die hard even for beings like her. But she had decided that for the time being, the less her presence is unknown to the world the better off she would be.

It was no different in throwing away a used napkin in where Shiklah tossed the dried up remains over the side of the cargo ship. However, her action did gain the attention of two workers who notice something flying over the side of the ship and fall into the ocean.

In the mean time, Shiklah continued to do some more research with the device now that she had a better understanding of it. One of the best thing at being the kind of succubus that she was, and quite possibly the last of her kind of succubus in the world now, was that she could not only take their life force but their knowledge as well. Another reason why the man she had fed upon left such a bad after taste since most of the knowledge he possessed was so banal that it made stagnate pond water seemed fantastic.

"Skree!"

Shiklah looked up to see the familiar sight of her pet dragon Bug flying down to her. While her needs for sustenance were rather specific, Bug's needs weren't but Shiklah was completely unsure if anything that Bug used to eat was still around. She let her pet dragon fly around the ship and see if there was anything that might be of interest to Bug.

Since it wasn't too long ago that she let Bug loose on the ship, Shiklah thought Bug came back with a full stomach or had yet to find something edible for him to eat.

Bug was indeed a dragon even though he was no bigger than what humans called house cats but that was where similarities of what house pets were ended. Shiklah remembered when she first met Bug and how much spirit he had even for something his size. A couple of vampires from her time tried to make sport out of Bug but it backfired when he was able to set all three of them ablaze in one breath. Bug had all the reasons in the world to be proud of himself and Shiklah thought of nothing else that would prove him worthy of being by her side.

"Ah, Bug. Find anything on this ship that you find yummy?" Shiklah said while extending her right arm to be a perch for Bug.

The pet dragon landed and gave Shiklah a nuzzle against her right cheek before replying in it's own manner. "Skree. Skree."

"So there was something that was tasty, huh? What was it?" Shiklah waited until Bug finished describing the meal he just had. She went through the knowledge she had obtained from her last meal and seemed to find something that matched the description. "Guess these particular insects can actually achieve something worthwhile even if the name of it is called spaghetti. A very strange name for simple noodles and sauce."

"Skree. Skree. Skree." Bug replied to his master.

"So that bit on the side of your mouth isn't something or somebody's entrails." Shiklah used her index finger to remove what she had first thought was blood and guts off the side of Bug's mouth but knew now it was spaghetti sauce. While Shiklah needed lifeforce as a main source for her sustenance, she wasn't above trying something new if it had piqued her curiosity.

Shiklah licked her finger clean of the bit of spaghetti sauce and found the taste of rather unique. Something she hadn't expected nor experienced before her she was forced to sleep away centuries.

"Hmm, the culinary abilities of this race seems to be more than meets the eye. Guess I shouldn't write them off completely." Shiklah said to her pet.

"Skree?" the puzzled look that Bug gave Shiklah added to the question he had asked to his master.

"Well, to start with, this weak species fights against it's own kind more than it does against any other kind on this world. According to their own history, they are more than aware that there is more to this world than any single one of them knows but they prefer to attack their own for reasons that actually defy common sense. Well, our kind of common sense."

Bug asked Shiklah what she had meant by that. "The best example I can give you is this individual, a human named Adolf Hilter."

Shiklah showed her pet a picture of the man who by all accounts ruled the area that was now called Germany but went by a different name eons ago. The succubus didn't really want to admit it but she could see this human understood power and the willingness to use it to enforce an iron rule.

"This mere human sought to take control of the world and establish an order would that bended to nothing else in the world. From what else I've seen in their history, there has been no one else who has even dared to openly pursue such a goal. This human had his people and countless others willing to fight and die for him for they believed in him more than all the deities that walk this world. I think the main reason he failed was that he failed to realize the stubbornness that his own race was capable of."

"Skree….Skree, Skree, Skree." Bug replied which made Shiklah actually let out a laugh.

"Yes, there are some traits that our kind shares with their kind. I won't deny that nor the potential some of them have." Shiklah said before looking back out towards a specific direction on the horizon. "And there is one out there who has something I never thought would actually be around in this kind of world."

Bug followed his master's gaze but saw nothing that it believed would warrant Shiklah's attention. As much as Bug wanted to question what his master was doing, the young dragon decided to keep it to himself since he knew better than to question any choices Shiklah would make.

That day when she saved him from some other dragons who wanted to turn him into a meal, Bug knew he owed her his loyalty. He didn't mind being called Bug even though Shiklah knew his real name but for as long as he lived, he would remain by her side.

Shiklah herself went back to her own musings as to what it was that was guiding her to a part of the world so far from her homeland. It was even a part of the world she had never even remotely visited before her father put her to sleep all those centuries ago.

But ultimately her reason for this journey was something her own father had said to her. She had once asked her father if there were others like her and their family in the world. She didn't know much about the world, barely even went to the limits of their owned territories.

Her father told her that as they were above those that her kind fed upon to sustain themselves, there were those that were above them but they very rarely interacted with anything below their station. He went on to elaborate that what created them and the world were beings that represented the primal forces that have existed beyond all known memory. Beings that should ever the situation arise where they interact with their world that her father warned never to interfere with their plans or designs.

Shiklah asked her father why but was simply told that the reasoning for that was the same as putting one's hand into a fire and keeping it there. She could see it as something of a warning, that these primal entities were so powerful they could easily sweep anything aside as the wind would move a fallen leaf across the ground. But there was something else that she could tell her father had never considered.

In fact, if it wasn't for her run-in with Dracula, Shiklah might never have thought along these lines when she first sensed the power in the distant horizon. It was clear that the great 'Lord of all Vampires' wanted more power and sought out any means to obtain it, including having to marry one who for the longest of times considered an enemy that had to be wiped out. Though it was more status and actual power, Shiklah could understand that aspect but saw it as a more desperate move on Dracula's part if anything.

Shiklah wasn't about to let herself become a pawn in someone else's game in this new world. But as strong as Shiklah knew herself to be, she also knew even she couldn't fight against a whole world. There was a power out there in this world, the likes of which she had never felt even in her time. A power she would use to bend this world to her will and burn all who would oppose her.

That thought alone sent shivers of excitement up and down her spine at what would happen when, not if, she would take hold of this power. All she knew for a fact was that the possibilities were probably even beyond her wildest dreams.

"Hey, lady! What are you doing up there?!"

The smile that was on her face quickly disappeared when she turned to see who it was that noticed her from where she was sitting on top of the cargo ship's many containers. Seeing it was more humans and quite possibly familiars with the one she had feasted on, Shiklah idly wondered what she was going to do with these two. It was only curiosity that helped her in deciding her course of action.

Jumping from the spot where she was just sitting and landing in front of the two humans, Shiklah took on a rather provocative pose in front of the men. One that she had seen from the videos she saw earlier.

"I was just wondering….what it feels like?" Shiklah said while making sure the two men in front of her had their attention more focused on her puffing out her chest. She also made sure to adjust her clothes to reveal more of her sizable cleavage to the men in which she saw that their eyes were firmly locked on that and nothing else. Not even the fact that Bug was more or less in plain view above them and watching everything unfolding.

Eventually one of the men managed to mumble out a question as to what Shiklah had said to them. She could see in both of their eyes that higher reasoning functions were currently suspended. It did somewhat disgust her that this particular species is more the less the dominate species when their actions practically screamed they were more like cattle than masters.

How Dracula had failed to conquer them all these years only proved how weak he was to her at this moment.

Walking towards the men in the same sultry way that she had seen on the video clips, Shiklah walked up to the man on the left and got up close and very personal. Shiklah made sure to pressed her chest up against the man while wrapping her arms around the man with her right hand right being right behind where the man's neck and head connect.

"What does it feel like….when you're being drained of your blood?"

Shiklah didn't give the man a moment to response before she sealed her lips against his. His protests were muffled but could still be heard clear enough to tell the other man he wasn't enjoying what was happening to him. This was more reinforced when the man saw the woman sink her fingers of her right hand into the base of the man's skull.

"What the Hell?!" the other man yelled out after seeing that. Not only did the man's protest became even louder, which was more than enough to tell anyone who was within earshot that what Shiklah did was causing him intense pain, but there was another sound that could be heard despite his protests.

The best way for the sound to be describe at the moment was as if a shop-vacuum cleaner was being used to suck up something that was both a solid and a liquid at the same time.

Even with the man struggling in the woman's hold, the other managed to see an act going on with the woman that literally sent fear the likes of which he had never known before now into his very soul.

The woman's throat was showing that she was swallowing.

With the man turning a sickly shade of pale and his eyes, ears and nose having something oozing out of each of them, it was more than enough for the lone observer to tell him that this woman was no human being and she was doing something that was killing him.

But before the man could do something to save his friend, his first and last act in the situation was to see what made the 'Skree' sound from above and to feel the flames of fire being intensely breathed onto him.

Bug noticed that the other man was about to do something that might harm his master and so decided to act. After setting him ablaze, Bug made sure to keep his fire breath on him long enough until the man stop making sounds and thrashing about while covered in flames. Bug looked back his master after making sure the other man had become nothing more than charred remains and saw that she was actually enjoying herself.

The pet dragon knew his master could easily just absorb the man's life essence with just a simple lip contact but there were times where Bug knew his master would like to have a little fun with her meal. Looking back at the charred human corpse, Bug would also admit that there were times it also enjoyed having a little fun with it's own meals as well.

While Bug decided to see what human tasted like after thoroughly cooking one, Shiklah continued to drain every drop of precious life sustaining fluids from the man who was slowly dying as a result of her 'kiss'. She could feel his struggle to break free become weaker and weaker along with his muffled sounds of protest. Since she also held the man close to her body while she drained him, Shiklah could feel the man's body starting to, as the humans would say, deflate like a balloon.

It was after several more moments did Shiklah release the man from her grasp and watch as he slowly fell to the floor with his last sounds escaping from his throat being of a weak dying moan. This wasn't the first time she had done this with her prey but it was the first time she had done so with a human. Her species of succubus were capable of draining the lifeforce out of any living being but they were also capable of draining them in about the same manner as a vampire would drain one of it's victim.

The main difference between the two was that whenever Shiklah drained someone in this manner, they were more desiccated than being merely drained of their blood. Sure their remains were more of a gooey mess and barely unidentifiable after being drained in this fashion but it was sometimes more enjoyable for Shiklah in feeding this way. There was actually an expression she recently learned of that put it in a better perspective.

Draining the lifeforce out of everyone all tasted the same to her, like chicken as the humans would put it. It was fulfilling but always the same no matter who or what she drained. But draining them of their entire lifeblood instead showed her that they all had a different taste to them no matter what. Of course there were some that tasted awful and others tasted like honey but there was more variety.

"Hmm…." Shiklah licked clean her own lips and fingers that she embedded into the man's skull, savoring every little bit. "A hint of spice and something else….something I'm not familiar with."

"Skree!" Bug called out, taking a moment from eating the charred remains to speak to his master.

Shiklah looked at Bug and then looked at the remains of her meal. She rummaged through the inside coat pocket and found what was called a flask. Opening up the container and taking a sniff of the contents inside told her what Skree had meant.

"Ah, whatever this liquid is, he had it in his blood and lots of it. It definitely gives him a different and unexpected after-taste." Shiklah said to Bug before pocketing the flask in a small carry bag she had taken from the same man that she took the computer tablet from before feasting on his lifeforce. "Guess that means there's something else going for these humans. Whatever they eat or drink gives them an added flavor they wouldn't have on their own."

"Skree. Skree." Bug replied.

"You're probably right. Maybe that's why Dracula hasn't really conquered the humans. He was always someone who preferred exotic tastes more often than not and maybe he found that these humans would be a better kind of food source if left to their own vices." Shiklah thought for a moment before realizing something she had previously overlooked and using the computer tablet to verify the notion that came to her.

The information she sought was where in the continent that she was heading to might have the most concentration of extraordinary individuals. There were several areas on the North America continent that Shiklah could choose from but one piece of information that she saw told her that regardless of the various location, the place called New York City seemed to be a focal point. Whenever there was a gathering of either super powered individuals or an event that would affect the world as a whole, the starting point would be there before it would spread.

Shiklah used the global positioning system application on the computer tablet to find where in the ocean was the cargo ship that she was aboard.

"Well Bug, it looks like we are heading in the right general direction of where I want to go. But I don't think we're getting there fast enough. Do you?"

"Skree. Skree. Skree." Bug replied before flying over to land on Shiklah's shoulder and nuzzling the left side of her cheek.

"You're right. The longer we're out in this sea, the better the chance is for someone else to take what we both know is mine and mine alone." Shiklah gave Bug an affectionate scratch under his chin before walking towards the bridge of the cargo ship with the full intent of taking control of the ship. "I just hope there's enough crew left to tide my hunger over once I take control."

"Skreee?" Bug asked to which Shiklah gave the pet dragon another affectionate scratch under his chin.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure there's enough for you as well."

Shiklah was pleased that her little pet dragon was pleased with her promise. She noticed how Bug enjoyed eating the charred human body and like herself, was curious how else to prepare their meals with these humans.

But her curiosity wouldn't be satiated at all until she reached her destination and sought what it was that was calling out to her. Shiklah could only imagine what she would find and what she could do with this primal power.

-New York City-

Anya Sofia Corazon had once thought that her life wouldn't get any stranger than the day when she got caught in a secret war between two secret societies.

No doubt that the adventures she had when she assumed the name Arana and became something of a teenage vigilante was part of the package that came with her having mystical tattoos placed upon which allowed her to have the abilities of a spider. Not that she was complaining about it since the man who put the mystical tattoos on her body, a mage for the Spider Society named Miguel, did so to save her life. And having superhuman abilities was always a plus in her book.

But never did she expect, even with all the experience she had gained over time in things that were of the supernatural, that there was a possible connection that she would have to ensure for the greater good. A connection that was kept from her until she reached age where it was felt she would be in her prime for breeding.

She thought that when she started calling herself Spider-Girl after inheriting the uniform from Julia Carpenter when she became the new Madame Web was that the most she had to look forward to was the day she would change her name from Spider-Girl to Spider-Woman. Sure there would be the occasionally adventure against some hidden threat to the world or ordeals in being a teenager who is secretly a superhero but nothing like this ever crossed her mind. Especially when it was Julia Carpenter herself that told her of this.

Right now, doing some night patrol in her neighborhood by swinging among the rooftops was in truth an attempt to forget what the clairvoyant had told the teenager. Anya had learned through her previous experiences with Cassandra Webb, the original Madame Web, that visions from the future tend to happen whether anyone wants it to happen or not. Even when future events are manipulate to create other outcomes in anyone's favor doesn't mean that the final outcome will not be what was originally foreseen.

That was a fact she had learn when the Kravinoffs captured and killed Mattie Franklin using Cassandra Webb against her will in order to see into future events with the ultimate goal of resurrecting Sergei Kravinoff, otherwise known as Kraven the Hunter. Mattie was used as a test subject to see if a 'spider's death' would allow a 'hunter' to be reborn. For all the manipulations and effort the Kravinoffs had done to see their plan succeed, all of it turned out to be a waste of near epic proportions. Kraven was ultimately brought back from the grave but not in the way the other Kravinoffs had worked towards.

If it wasn't so Frankenstein horror-like, Anya would have found it rather ironic that the Kravinoffs had a map to the future and yet still couldn't achieve victory.

Unfortunately, because of their messing with future events and the 'Web of Life', Julia had informed Anya that future generations of 'spiders' were now in jeopardy. The only pieces of information that Julia could tell, or in Anya's view was willing to tell, was that even though there were others who could wield the powers of the spider at the moment, Spider-Man was the original 'spider' for this generation. Julia elaborated that Spider-Man had more than just a passing influence with all the other 'spiders' and even Anya could attest to that. Spider-Man was the core reason all spider-powered heroes were heroes by proving time and time again that he could overcome challenges that most individuals would falter if they themselves would face. And if he could overcome those odds, so could they while being heroes in their own right.

Anya agreed with that testament about Spider-Man. She had imagined herself in some of the situations that Spider-Man had dealt with and found that she would be hard pressed to make the same decisions he made. Even Julia admitted to Anya that if someone like Spider-Man wasn't around when she was Spider-Woman and Archane and even now as Madame Web, there were lines she would have crossed and justified those choices as being for the greater good.

Anya asked Julia if the reason why the future was in such jeopardy was because no one like Spider-Man would be around to teach them how to be heroes. The teenager quickly caught the tell, a visible twitch in her left eyebrow that jumped above the rim of the woman's dark sunglasses, before Julia spoke that hinted she was deliberately withholding significant information related to the answer. All Anya was told was that Spider-Man was at a crossroads where the decisions he would make would affect the Web of Life. Julia said that for all the possible outcomes that she could see as a result of the decisions Spider-Man would make, there was only one that truly guaranteed the survival for the Web of Life.

That was when Anya had questioned both her hearing and Julia Carpenter's sanity.

Well, not so much as sanity as flat out asking, "Are you crazy?!"

Even now, that part of the conversation still played over and over in Anya's head while she continued to swing from one building to another.

"You should know by now that I don't just say anything of this nature unless it has to be said." Julia said while basically facing down a fuming teenager.

"But you're….you said...I mean, my God! You want me to get Spider-Man to knock me up!" Anya couldn't remember how many times she was asked for something that seemed ridiculous. Even after it was all said it done, some of those requests still seemed insane than logical. "I'm still a teenager and no doubt Spider-Man is older than I am. Where in the Hell do you get off asking a teenager to get pregnant while she's still in high school?!"

"I'm asking a young woman, not a teenager, to take a more active role in being both a hero and an ally to Spider-Man."

"And be there to teach the next generation of spider-powered heroes, or as you said, bring about the next generation of spider-powered heroes!" Anya was about ready to leave but felt that Julia needed to be given a piece of her mind.

Of course Anya forgot that Julia could see the future given that the state of her emotions were highly excited. It actually frustrated Anya more when Julia replied to the teenager's opinion before it was spoken.

"Your feelings for him are as genuine as the hero Spider-Man is for the city regardless of what is said on media networks." Julia said in order to bring Anya back to the point of the conversation. "We were both there in that basement when we heard what both believed was Spider-Man's death at the hands of the Kravinoffs. I know my own feelings but I saw in your eyes that night that you had the regret of not telling him how much you cared for him after everything he had done for you while asking nothing in return other than to be the hero that you are."

Anya would never openly admit but she did care for Spider-Man. Maybe even more so than she realized herself but all of that didn't mean she alright with the idea in the least that to save the future she had to lay with her hero and mentor.

"I owe him and maybe someday I hope I can repay him but not like that and certainly not now." Anya made sure her voice at a clear tone of finality in it.

But somehow, Anya knew that Julia wasn't completely convinced and not just because of her ability to see into the future.

Julia had hoped to not reveal this to Anya but as much as she needed to know what was at stake, the woman also felt that the teenager might be making a mistake in the effort to try and prove Julia wrong. It was still a gamble on her part but now was not the time to hold back.

"I know why a lot of people have multiple opinions of those that can see the future. All ranging from envious, to joyful, to down right hatred but all of them stemming from frustration because sometimes we tell them what they don't want to hear. Because of your connection to the Web and other factors combined, only this one time in this perfect storm of events can I do this."

Anya had noticed earlier that Julia was physically in front of her instead of usually coming to her via astral projection. The teenager was filled with apprehension as to what the woman was going to do.

When Julia was close enough to Anya, the woman raised both of her hands and told the teenager to take hold of them.

Noticing that the usual gloves Julia wore were absent, it made the teenager a little suspicious but not as much after asking the woman what the meaning was behind the act.

"Only this one time can I show you your own future. After you've seen it, you will truly have the choice of whether or not to see it come to pass."

Anya wondered if this was supposed to happen because Julia had foreseen it or was Julia actually doing something of her own free will which in turn meant that Anya actually had a choice in how her own future would unfold.

The teenager's reluctance was clear in her slow movements to take the woman's hands. It was only when somewhere in the back of her mind that told her she would always regret this moment if she didn't take it did her hands take hold of Julia's.

The regret of not knowing there was actually someone who could be in her life as both herself and as a hero.

The very instant their hands touched, Anya felt herself in what she could best describe as getting hit with a bolt of lightning that shot her soul out of her body and through a storm of clouds and thunder before entering into her future self.

It took Anya a moment to steady herself since all of her senses were in such a muddy state because of the sudden experience but what she saw, what all of her sense told her, was undeniable.

Anya's memories, or rather future memories in this particular case, was telling her that she was in Spider-Man's home. The reason for her being there was of great personal importance. But whatever the reason was, it lost in her mind at the moment.

The only thought Anya had was to leave before her heart broke anymore than it already had.

Though Anya was in her Spider-Woman uniform, albeit with some slight alterations that proved to her that her dreams of her body filling out more over time would be realized, she made her way to the front door of the penthouse apartment instead of leaving by the skylight that she had entered through earlier.

Peter, in his civilian clothing. stopped her before she got to the door. Anya tried to push off but he held on with an iron grip. It was times like this that she wishes her strength was equal to Peter's in that he had gotten stronger over the years as well. Anya wasn't sure what Peter had in mind when he marched her to the mirror in the bathroom.

Something inside of Anya made her refused to look at the mirror itself. Like there was something she would see that she didn't want to or didn't want Peter to see.

She almost didn't even hear him speak when he said, "Anya look at your reflection."

Anya refused, keeping her eyes tightly shut so Peter said, "Please Anya."

She opened her eyes to stare at her reflection. After a moment her eyes sought out Peter's in the mirror.

"Know what I see." Peter said to her in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Anya could see in the reflection of the mirror that Peter began moving his hands from her shoulder down past her ample breasts and towards her stomach. "I see a beautiful women that needs to wake up and realize there are a lot of women that would kill to see what you see every day in the mirror."

Anya began to feel a tightness in her stomach that she figured had to be her nerves going into overdrive. There had been plenty of times before now where she was this close to Peter. Those time were only because Peter had her close out of a necessity. But she now knew what the difference of those previous times and now when she could feel an intensity just coming from Peter's finger tips.

"Being both a woman and a selfless hero makes someone like you more rare than any woman born with supermodel looks." Peter said quietly into Anya's ear.

"That's not true," Anya responded, her nerves simply not letting go of her inner doubts..

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"But...I know you like her. My…my body looks nothing like hers," Anya said knowing that her breast kept growing but compared to some of the other women that both herself and Peter knew, Anya felt her figure in comparison to those was like the one flat-chested girl in high school that never really got any bigger.

Especially when compared to women like Carol Danvers, Jessica Drew, and….her.

"You're right, of course. But when have I ever cared about appearances? All those years of the Daily Bugle trashing me to the point where Green Day actually wrote a song about it. And when J. Jonah Jameson became the mayor, he personally created a task force with the sole purpose of taking me down. I honestly think even Dr. Doom had some sympathy for me when a poll was done and the numbers said I was more dangerous he was."

Anya giggled at that. She remembered the time when Peter was given the blame for the Spider-Island event and how some were suggesting that the only way people got spider-like powers was that Spider-Man was going around spreading some kind of sexually transmitting disease. It was almost the perfect excuse for Mayor Jameson to get the CDC on his side had Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four not speak at a press conference after the event that it was the result of genetically altered bed bugs that caused the whole fiasco.

Suddenly Anya sucked in a deep breath as the hand rubbing her stomach moved without her knowing under her uniform to rub her skin directly. Almost as soon as Peter's hand touched her skin, the warmth she had been feeling moments earlier intensified.

Peter smiled into the mirror as Anya began to respond to his touch. He could see that her eyes began to grow hooded. Peter decided to take a risk on his next movie, believing that Anya wouldn't freak out too much as he said, "But I get the feeling you still doubt me somewhat. Right here, right now….let me prove my words to you true."

With his free hand Peter took hold of Anya's right hand and moved what he knew would be the last place Anya would ever expect it to go. When Anya felt her right hand against what she instantly knew was Peter's erection, her eyes went about as wide in surprise as they ever had. Even though Anya was still wearing her mask, Peter could easily see how wide her eyes had gotten through her eye lenses.

Peter could also tell that Anya was both scared and confused at the same time but he did nothing to move her hand from where he left it. As Peter expected of Anya once a little bit of curiosty or courage entered into her mind, she began to move her hand in an up-and-down rubbing motion over his pants.

Leaning towards her ear, Peter said said, "You did that to me, Anya."

"I-I did?" Anya was never more unsure of herself. Even more so then the time when she had to make the decision to either be a teenage superhero or hide her abilities and try to live a normal life.

"That's right," Peter replied while ever so slowly lifting her shirt. Peter clearly wanted to give Anya ample opportunity to stop him. Even though he knew from the way her hand was rubbing his dick over his jeans that she was starting to lose herself to the lust within herself, Peter still wanted Anya to know she had a choice.

When her breasts were uncovered, he was genuinely surprised in that she wasn't wearing a bra. He knew Anya's outfit was form fitting but he think she was the kind of young woman that would go without one. It did make him wonder if that she wasn't wearing a bra, what about her panties or lack thereof?

Not about to let that question in his mind slow him down, Peter bunched her shirt up just enough so that when it let it go, Anya's breasts preventing it from falling back down. Anya simply stared at her reflection but moaned as Peter used both hands to softly grab her exposed treasures.

"How could my body not respond like this, being around such a hot and sexy woman such as yourself, Anya?"

As Peter massaged her breasts, Anya let more of herself go and began moaning more to what she was feeling. She didn't even realize that began to move her hand even more. Like how rubbing him faster wasn't a decisions she consciously made.

Peter himself was so caught up in exploring the wonders that were Anya's tits that he failed to notice she had stopped rubbing him. However, the sound of his fly being pulled down did catch his attention. Peter didn't even have the moment to form the questioning thought as to what was going to happen next because the Mexican girl's hand fished out his cock and in one fluid motion to the next began to stroke it.

"Mmmm, that's very good Anya. Your hand is making me feel great." Peter said moving one of his own hands down to the hem of her pants. Sliding his hand down the waist band of them he was surprised to find that she was as clean shaven. He was also surprised to find that the insides of her panties were easily moist. Clear sign that she was aroused and more than ready for the next step.

Peter pulled back his hand when he felt that Anya was wet enough to his liking. He kept his hand that was massaging her breasts where it was but increased his efforts so Anya would be more focused at the moment of her chest area.

Well, about as focused as a woman can be with her eyes closes and moans escaping from her mouth.

Peter slowly loosened her pants and allowed them and her panties to fall to the bathroom floor. He gently pushed her forward slightly so that her hands gripped the counter of the sink. Peter stopped her from stroking him, with some reluctance on his part as well as hers, and line his cock up with her entrance all the while just barely controlling himself from plunging into her depths.

But Peter still wanted to give Anya a chance to pull back. As much as he wanted to become one with Anya, Peter knew it wouldn't mean anything if she didn't make the same choice as himself.

"Anya…do you want this…do you want me."

"Yes..yes...so very much," Anya said breathlessly as she began to try and lean into the cock that was poking her.

"Wait, Anya…. We haven't taken any precautions…." Peter couldn't believe that he had forgotten the mere fact he hadn't put on a condom and he had no idea where Anya was in her biological cycle.

If they went through with this, who knows what the outcome be and how long before either of them learned of it.

Anya heard Peter say something but she didn't care what it was. If there was a consequences to finally being with someone that not only understood her more than anyone else in her life but someone who proved to be quite possible the best man and only a fool would let someone like that slip through their grasp, then Anya would bear such consequences everyday with any hesitation.

As long as Peter was by her side every step of the way.

Peter might have spoken up again to warn Anya of what might happen without precautions in place but was completely taken by surprise when the young woman push back using the sink to give her the leverage she needed. Peter felt himself sink into the woman fully. He caught a wince from Anya that either meant he had taken her virginity, which felt about right, or he was much bigger than Anya had expected. It was only a moment where Anya didn't move after she had made it so Peter had bottomed out inside of her before she pulled away to slam back into him.

"Anya…damn I was trying to tell you…"

Anya didn't care anything else at the moment. All she cared about was that Peter was inside of her. Surprising herself, almost as much as him, she reached back with both hands and grabbed the back of Peter's neck and pulled him forward.

She kissed him hard and when it ended said, "I don't care… all I ever wanted was to be close to you… to be by your side and even if I have to share you to do that then so be it."

Peter could see in Anya's eyes the kind of seriousness he had seen many times before. The kind where a person was ready to give their lives to see something through and nothing and no one was going to be able to stop them. In a strange sense, Peter figured such a level of conviction seemed appropriate

"Now….shut up and fuck me!" Anya said just after removing her mask to show how serious her demand was.

Hearing the energetic young woman demanding to be fucked was something that Peter couldn't help but smile in response.

"As you wish." Peter replied before grabbing her hips began pounding into her as hard and fast as he could.

"Ohhhhh, so fucking….so fucking good Peter…it's better….better than I ever dreamed….keep fucking me….never stop." Anya said while grunting in response to each thrust Peter made into her.

Peter had no intention of stopping any time soon. He actually berated himself for waiting as long as he did to be in this position with Anya. He had no idea how long this moment between them would last so he decided to give Anya everything he could give her and them some more. Peter wanted to make sure that this moment would be with the both of them forever.

He also decided that he wanted a better view of his actions so he grabbed the moaning young Mexican woman and he lifted her in the air enough which allowed her to rest her feet on the counter of the sink as he began drilling into her again.

Anya watched in the mirror's reflection, mesmerized at the sight of Peter's dick moved in and out of her in the mirror. Her back was pressed hard against his chest since her legs were starting to push against the sink. Anya had one of her hands reach around to pull Peter's face to hers so she could kiss him passionately again. Her other free hand began to tweak one of her own aching nipples.

If it wasn't for Peter's enhanced strength, he might've been pushed back because Anya was pretty much trying to kick off of the sink. The young woman's body was as light as a feather in Peter's hands and he also knew that Anya was as flexible as he was so he deiced to change things up a bit more.

Peter shifted his hold on Anya's hips so he now had hold of her legs by the thigh and made it so the legs themselves were now sticking straight up. Peter had learned from experience that this position for him was much more enjoyable when lifting and dropping a woman onto his cock. Add in his strength and stamina, Peter knew he could maintain this position far longer than most women had ever experienced.

Anya now had both of her hands holding onto the back of Peter's neck as if for dear life. What she felt before of Peter thrusting into her might as well been some kind of foreplay to what he was doing to her now. She could feel Peter actually lifting her up and forcing her back down onto his rod at a rate she didn't ever expect to be possible. This act made her start screaming in ecstasy towards the heavens and her vision completely filled with bright explosion-like sights each and every single time Peter bottomed out inside of her.

Anya could feel something building within her that she never felt before. She would never openly admit to having experience masturbation, nor how often she might have in any given year when she started to become a woman and what fantasies she had while in such a state. But what she was feeling now was beyond anything she had ever felt before and her mind was just clear enough to realize what her body was doing in response to Peter's actions.

And her mind was clear enough to make the decision to receive what Peter was going to give her.

"Peter…I… I'm going to cum…please….please cum with me."

Peter smile when he heard that. "Alright Anya…I'm almost there. Hold on just a little...bit….more…."

Peter felt himself grunting more so than before, feeling his own limit approaching. He could even tell how close Anya was to her own limit when her grip on his cock increased with each thrust he made into her.

Anya grunted through clenched teeth when her body began to scream at her what was about to happen. "Together Peter….I'm...I'm…!"

"Cumming!" Peter said releasing his load deep inside Anya.

Feeling his semen flooding into her and coating the deepest parts inside sent Anya over the edge as she screamed out in pure enjoyment.

While Anya let loose all the air in her lungs to signal all that could hear her that she experienced a pleasure sensation beyond anything she had ever experienced, Peter groaned in equal pleasure as he fired several hot shots of his essence into the young woman's womb. Even when it felt like Peter had fired everything he had into Anya, he could feel her pussy actually trying to milk his cock for more.

"Peter….cumming...cumming inside me…it's so warm…so...good…." Anya said while coming down from her journey to the clouds above. Her strength in her entire body left her almost completely, making her sagged into Peter's arms.

Peter felt a little weak himself as he lowered Anya back to the ground. Anya used the sink to support herself, to take in a couple of steady breaths just as Peter did.

Peter was easily ready to have another go with Anya but was surprised when the young woman herself seemed to bounce back far quicker than he did by spinning around and grabbing him by the dick and began stroking it back to full hardness. She let go once Peter's rod was ready for action again and looked at her hand which was now covered in their combined release. Anya looked directly into Peter's eyes before bring her hand up and licked it clean. Peter was all set for another round with the young super heroine just moment before he saw her do that with her hand. And even if he wasn't, what he saw Anya do was easily all the inspiration he would ever need from her.

Anya leaned back against the sink, picking herself up and sitting one foot on the edge of the counter as she spread her legs. With a sultry motion of her right index finger did Anya beckoned Peter forward for more. As Peter moved forward to follow the silent command, he remembered a saying he had heard back in his college days and remembered how true it was then and how true it was now.

"There are women out there that after their first time release their inner nymphomaniac."

The two spider-powered heroes didn't stay in the bathroom too much longer after they started their second round of being the 'beast with two backs'. Eventually Peter was lying on his back on his bed as Anya bounced on top of him. After leaving the bathroom when Peter helped Anya reach another orgasm, Anya herself used her spider-strength to push Peter into the bedroom, tear off his clothes in possibly record time, push him to the bed and onto his back. Anya didn't waste any time and began riding Peter for all she could which really seemed to test the bed's spring mattress.

Anya leaned forward so as to dangle her breasts in front of Peter and give him an open invitation to take on into his mouth. Peter didn't need much convincing of what to do but he definitely made Anya know that he enjoyed taking one of her nipples into his mouth and suck on it while giving the tit itself a firm squeezing.

It was long before Anya began chanting, "It's so good. It's so good," over and over again as she began to increase her tempo.

Peter grabbed her hips and increased his own pace as well. The rhythm quickly became where Anya pushed herself up enough to where Peter's dick was almost out of her and Peter would force her back down onto his rod. There quickly became the added effect where Peter began hitting the one spot for the young woman that overloaded her body with pleasure. So much so that Anya went limp and fell forward and laid on top of Peter. This didn't break Peter's stride and he kept the pace going while Anya's moans steadily increased in volume each time Peter hit the sweet spot within her.

He could have easily kept this pace a lot longer but Anya couldn't keep herself contained any longer before this orgasm that Peter gave her exploded within her. Peter's dick was in deep enough so that when Anya's inner muscles clenched around him when her orgasm was achieved, it was like a velvet vice around his cock and gave more than enough extra stimuli for him to reach his limit as well.

Anya's orgasm was so strong that she didn't realize her body had reflexively shot up in response until Peter gently caught her from collapsing back down hard onto his chest. Both of them were panting heavily and covered in sweat from their nirvana experience. Neither one did anything else but remain still because both had been almost completely drained of their enhanced strength and stamina. Though Peter would have made a joke at the moment on how between the two of them, Anya had drained him more.

Once enough strength had returned to Peter, he took note of the young woman on top of him and saw that she was still conscious but barely it seemed. He also realized how late it was and decided to ask the obvious question.

Moving several stray strands of hair from her face so he could see her eyes, Peter asked, "Do you need to get home?"

Anya looked back at Peter before shaking her and saying, "I am home."

Peter gently stroked both of Anya's hair and her back after he heard that. He wondered if Anya knew what she had said to him was probably the best thing she could have said.

"Yes, you are home." Peter made sure he spoke just quietly enough for Anya to hear him and that his tone of voice was one of him wishing pleasant dreams.

Anya was fighting to stay awake but hearing that from Peter made her fall asleep. To her, if a kiss was to wake a princess from a deep sleep than hearing that from Peter put her in the most pleasant sleep she would ever have.

Peter managed to pull the bed covers over the both of them as best as he could so he could take a well earned rest himself. He even made sure to wrap his arms around Anya to keep her from sliding off of him while they slept. An act that Peter noticed made the sleeping beauty smile even more than she already was.

It was at this moment when Julia Carpenter brought Anya back to the present and quickly learned several things about what she had just done for the teenager. Both individuals let go of the other's hands but also seemed to have trouble with their balance. Helping someone experience a vision of their own future did require a deep bond but Julia didn't realize how deep of a bond was needed in the first place. She was aware that the previous Madame Web had done this with Peter Parker on more than one occasion but this was her first time with no prior experience.

It took both of them several moments to process what exactly it was they had experienced. Not only did Julia show the teenage girl of the strong possibility where the man she saw as both a mentor and big brother would easily become her lover. But she also experienced the same level of intense pleasure she had felt in Anya's vision of the future. Julia may not have had any decent sex over recent years, probably more so after her daughter was born, but even she knew the difference between a one-night stand between a man and a woman to two lovers finally having their moment together.

Julia had originally intended to show Anya a different vision of the future. The one that showed her and Peter coming together for a higher purpose instead of them cumming together several times. For some unknown reason, the vision shifted over to that but it was no less true that what Julia had seen of Anya's future with Peter Parker. A future where Anya would have someone amazing in her life to offset all the tragedies she had suffered ever since becoming one with the Web.

It might have made Julia a little envious, maybe even a little jealous, of what the kind of good fortune Anya would have when it came to having a loving partner. Might have….if not for something even she herself did not foresee.

Anya herself found everything she had experience to be more than she expected. It was almost too much for her to comprehend at the moment. But everything in the vision she saw of her future self was as true as everything about her now.

"I….have….I have to go now." Anya said before taking off in a run away from Julia.

The woman had seen that kind of run before. She had done it herself on more than one occasion in the past and so could tell very easily when someone else was doing it.

Someone who believe they could run away from the truth.

Julia Carpenter herself found that she wanted to run as well. She had believed that she had come to terms with her role as Madame Web. That there was truly a reason for everything that happened and that even though bad things do happen, the good that comes from people like Peter Parker more than just make up for it.

But because of her showing Anya something from her future, Julia had seen something from her own future as well. When the two of them bonded, Julia saw through Anya's eyes as the teenager experienced her future and saw scattered memories within Anya's future self.

At the moment when Anya felt she couldn't compete with some women that Peter knew, one of the faces she saw within Anya's mind was her own. Julia couldn't tell if it was a true memory or a speculation that Anya had but she couldn't deny the fact from Anya's own future experiences that she was going to become more than just an ally to Spider-Man, to Peter Parker.

The truth that Julia wanted to run away from was in Anya's future memories, there was a strong impression that her daughter Rachel was gone. Along with that impression was another where in Anya's mind, in what her future self had seen or thought of, Julia was with Peter and the two of them were holding their infant twin daughters.

All this told Julia that for every vision she had of the future that was more or less set in stone, she had now experienced one where it was as open in who would decide for it to come about. Either her or Peter.

That thought scared her because of the level of uncertainty it represented and for someone who has laser-like precognitive abilities, it revealed how dependent Julia was of the hidden safety net that came with knowing how future events could unfold. It also made her scared because now she wasn't sure if she would see if there was anything truth to her daughter no longer being around in the future.

Looking up towards the skies to see if maybe there was an answer she could 'see', Julia knew in her soul how futile her current efforts were and that the best course of actions she could do was take one day at a time. Julia had to remind herself that this was one of those times where being the caretaker of the Web of Life and being a mother would conflict in ways where there was no easy answer on how to address the issue causing it.

The only joy she could take from what she had seen was that the part of her that was a mother. She could somehow feel a strong sense of joy coming from what she had seen. Coming from the two little ones that brought a smile to both her and Peter's face.

Turning towards the direction of the one chosen to be the champion of the Web of Life, Julia spoke outloud even though she knew he would not hear him.

"With great power, there must also come great responsibilities as you've always said. But something tells me you won't be expecting the responsibility of being a father any time soon."

It was at that moment when Julia received a vision of Peter in his Spider-Man uniform out on patrol stopping on a nearby rooftop and say outloud that a sudden chill just ran up his spine. Julia couldn't help but smile when Peter also made the comment on how he would rather face Galactus alone instead of whatever it was that instilled such fear within him and how he truly believed he had a better chance at survival against Galactus.

'You might be right about that, Peter Parker.' Julia thought to herself with a different kind of smile on her face. 'Being a parent is far more stressful than being a superhero especially when it comes to the Terrible Twos and high school teenage years….'

Julia's smile continued to stay on her face as she remembered the days of when Rachel was still just a baby and Julia held her in her arms while quietly singing the girl a lullaby. 'But….I know you wouldn't trade a single one of those days for anything else in the world.'

Next Chapter – The Gathering – Part Three

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Author's Note: I had originally planned on doing two Gathering chapters but I felt there should be one more. There was still some women characters that could go with this story now that Marvel Comics has pretty much put the entire universe in a blender and hit 'puree' in order to change things up a bit.

On a quick side note about Shiklah and what she did to the sailor, the idea for it came from a horror movie I saw and it got stuck in my head for a while. I wanted to establish the kind of women that are going after Peter are pretty much both sides of the coin: heroes and villains alike. Shiklah isn't exactly a villain pre se in the comics but she isn't a hero either and fans of Peter Parker/Spider-Man know that more than once has the webslinger gone over to the dark side and more than once came close to crossing that final line that would make him everything that J. Jonah Jameson says he is.

As always, read and review. And if you have any ideas for who else could be part of this particular web harem, shout it out because there are many to choose from and odds are I've likely missed some prime candidates.


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